Nearly 30 months after launching his party with much fanfare, Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi on Sunday announced its merger with Congress, which is trying to counter the possible threat posed by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh.
Barely one month into its existence, Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi's party Praja Rajyam seems to be bogged down by internal strife.Fans of the star are miffed at being sidelined by the politicians who are trying to hog the limelight in the company of Chiranjeevi.Ironically, senior political leaders who jumped into the actor's outfit leaving their parent parties too aren't exactly happy with the state of affairs in Praja Rajyam.
After running into trouble with the Election Commission, Telugu mega star Chiranjeevi's party has more problems to contend with, this time with its name Praja Rajyam
Welcoming her into the party fold, Chiranjeevi said, "Her entry in to our party reflects the response and respect women of the state are giving to our party."
The Praja Rajyam Party will officially merge with the Congress on August 20, according to PRP president Chiranjeevi. "We decided to officially merge Praja Rajyam with Congress on August 20, the birth anniversary of Rajeev Gandhi. On August 20 and 21, senior party leaders will take Congress party membership at Gandhi Bhavan," Chiranjeevi said. Chiranjeevi was earlier scheduled to meet All India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi between August 7 and August 10.
That Goud, a strong backward class leader from Telangana region, was all set for "home coming" became clear on Sunday when he spoke to TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu over phone. It was the second round of talk between the two after Goud had personally met Naidu a few days ago.
The wait was long, but worth it. The megastar and the annaya (brother) of Andhra Pradesh arrived at the Avilala Cheruvu in Tirupati at 5.30 pm amidst cheers and screams from all his fans who were waiting since morning. Chiranjeevi, sporting a white shirt, walked up to the grandly-decked dais, waving at fans who could not stop screaming the moment they laid their eyes on the star.
Indicating a major change in the political alignments in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling Congress and the regional Praja Rajyam Party of Telugu film star Chiranjeevi were mulling the idea of a tie-up for the coming elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
The Praja Rajyam Party headed by film star-turned-politician K Chiranjeevi on Friday indicated that it might go in for a tie-up with Congress in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Dr Mitra was one the key players in the formation of PRP last year but later he was sidelined as the entire show was taken over by Allu Arvind, film producer. It was believed that Mitra had decided to quit the party even before the elections amid the allegations that PRP tickets were being sold to the highest bidders.
The Praja Rajyam Party leader made his debut as MLA on Thursday when he got up to deliver a customary speech to congratulate Kiran Kumar Reddy of Congress on his election as the Speaker, but ended up making a memorable and hard-hitting speech ruing the wastage of public money and precious time of the assembly on non-serious issues.
According to the National Democratic Alliance sources, the new government may allot five to six ministerial berths to the allies Janasena and Bharatiya Janata Party.
The opposition Telugu Desam party received another big jolt on Thursday with senior leader and former minister Tammineni Sitaram quitting its ranks and joining the Praja Rajyam party of film-star turned politician Chiranjeevi.
Putting a formal seal on the prominence of his family in the affairs of Praja Rajyam Party, film star-turned-politician Chiranjeevi formally appointed his younger brother and film star Pavan Kalyan as the chief of Yuva Rajyam, the youth wing of the PRP.
Union Minister K Chiranjeevi's youngest brother K Kalyan Kumar, alias Pavan Kalyan, is all set to launch his own political party IN Hyderabad on Friday.
The court further directed that the principles, which were adopted while granting a common election symbol to Telangana Rashtra Samithi may have to be kept in mind while taking a decision on the plea of Praja Rajyam for a common poll symbol.
Still recovering from the rude shock he received in the elections, the film-star-turned politician Chiranjeevi has decided to change his Praja Rajyam Party's election symbol, dropping the heavyweight 'Rail Engine'.
Former Telugu Desam Party MP Yelamanchali Sivaji and an ex-IAS officer T Chandrasekhar of Maharashtra cadre on Tuesday joined the Praja Rajyam party floated by Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi. Sivaji, a former Rajya Sabha member and an expert on farmers' issues, joined the actor's party along with a large number of his followers from Guntur district.
The Election Commission of India on Thursday registered Andhra matinee idol Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam as a state political party. The election symbol of Praja Rajyam shall be allotted once the party completes the formalities.
Praja Rajyam party leader and actor Chiranjeevi has taken his fight directly in to the camp of his 'enemy's fort'. He started his "Praja Ankitam Yatra" in Kadapa district from Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's home constituency Pulivendula today amid tight security.
The Praja Rajyam party of film-star-turned politician Chiranjeevi has claimed that it was going to win 205 seats in Andhra Pradesh assembly in the forthcoming elections.
All India Congress president Sonia Gandhi has invited Praja Rajyam Party president and Tirupati Member of Legislative Assembly Chiranjeevi to New Delhi to meet her anytime between August 7 and 10 to formally take primary membership of the Congress party.
official spokesperson of Praja Rayam party P Mitra announced that Chiranjeevi's Ya1tra will come to an end on Thursday and his tour and meetings scheduled for Friday have been cancelled.
It is raining political parties in Andhra Pradesh!
The Telangana Rashtriya Samiti, spearheading the Telangana statehood movement, rejected a fresh appeal by Home Minister P Chidambaram to participate in Thursday's meeting to discuss the Justice Srikrishna report, even as Congress held hectic parleys with its leaders from Andhra Pradesh on ways to deal with the situation.
More than 30 legislators of Telangana region belonging to the TRS, Congress, Telugu Desam Party and Praja Rajyam Party have announced their resignation.
Praja Rajyam Party President K Chiranjeevi will campaign on Thursday for the Congress party in the by-election to Bangarupalem assembly constituency in Karnataka.
The Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly was adjourned on Tuesday with out transacting any business as members of Telangana Rashtra Samiti stalled the proceedings demanding that the House should adopt a resolution on formation of a spereate Telangana state.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Praja Rajyam Party clamouring to join hands with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti over the demand for a separate state, pressure is mounting on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to initiate steps to deal with the issue immediately. The growing unrest within the party, especially among the leaders of Telangana region, came to the fore on Sunday with Congress Working Committee member G Venkat Swamy openly supporting the demand for Telangana.
Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi on Wednesday requested the Maharashtra government to extend an invitation to Andhra Pradesh for a dialogue on the controversial Babhli irrigation project and allow an all-party delegation from the state to inspect the site.
The fledgling Praja Rajyam Party headed by actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi on Friday accused the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh of resorting to "dirty tricks" and tapping the telephones of some its top leaders.
Telugu Desam Party president Chandrababu Naidu's convoy was on Saturday allegedly stoned by supporters of YSR Congress party when he was addressing a road show as part of the by-election campaign at Lingala in Kadapa district.
In an unprecedented action in state legislature history, Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar on Friday night disqualified 16 MLAs of ruling Congress who had voted against the party government during a no-trust motion in December last year sailing with expelled Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.
The Telugu Desam Party-led Grand Alliance in Andhra Pradesh got a major boost on Saturday with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti formally announcing its decision to join the alliance. The TRS had been holding political negotiations with both the Grand Alliance and Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party.TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, accompanied by other party leaders, met TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu today afternoon and formally joined the alliance.
Even as the film star turned politician Chiranjeevi was worried over getting an electoral symbol allotted by the Election Commission, his Praja Rajyam party got a shot in the arm on Thursday with two legislators of Telugu Desam party including the party general secretary joining the PRP.
Film star-turned-politician and Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi on Thursday announced his resignation from the state assembly in protest against the decision of the Central government to start the process for the formation of Telangana state by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi has totally ruled out the question of merging his 15-month-old outfit with the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh.
Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi today strongly refuted reports that his party has merged with Congress, saying it was only a "media creation".
It was supposed to be a momentous day for the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh with formalities related to the merger of Praja Rajyam Party getting completed on Monday.
Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi has appealed to his party's Members of Legislative Assembly to withdraw their resignations, after eleven of his 18 party legislators quit their assembly membership to protest the Centre's decision to carve out a separate Telangana state. The filmstar-turned politician convened an emergency meeting with the party legislators on Thursday night and said it was not proper for them to quit their posts in haste.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances