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.
In a major political development, Praja Rajyam Party chief and Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi resigned from the state assembly on Thursday, in a bid to throw his weight for a united Andhra Pradesh.
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 has totally ruled out the question of merging his 15-month-old outfit with the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh.
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.
Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi today strongly refuted reports that his party has merged with Congress, saying it was only a "media creation".
Chief Minister K Rosaiah, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi were among the top leaders who paid homage to late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on Friday night. Speaking on the occasion, Rosaiah said, "Reddy had a unique personality. He always kept his word and his leadership qualities made people admire him. No surprise that he never lost an election in his long political career since 1978."
Praja Rajyam Party chief and film star Chiranjeevi is to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday afternoon to discuss the merger arrangements between the two parties.
A late night telephone call from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi has led to wide-spread speculation that his party legislators might be inducted into the Congress ministry to checkmate rebel Member of Parliament Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. The call from the chief minister, who is currently camping in New Delhi, to the PRP president indicated that the high command was in no mood to be accommodative.
With Andhra Pradesh assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar making a formal announcement in the House on Monday accepting the merger of Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress, the chapter of the Chiranjeevi-led party has come to an end in the political history of the state.
Megastar Chiranjeevi is likely to get elevated soon to the Rajya Sabha from a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. His candidature is almost certain for one of the four seats that the ruling Congress can win in the biennial elections to the Upper House of Parliament from the state, slated for March 30. The Congress, as part of his Praja Rajyam Party's merger deal last year, promised to induct Chiranjeevi into the Union Cabinet by nominating him to Rajya Sabha.
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.
A new government has emerged in Andhra Pradesh with the induction of two legislators of the Praja Rajyam Party into the N Kiran Kumar Reddy Cabinet in Hyderabad on Thursday. State Governor E S L Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Ganta Srinivasa Rao, a member of the legislative assembly, and C Ramachandraiah, a member of the legislative council, at a brief function in the Raj Bhavan.
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.
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.
Popular Telugu film star-turned-politician Chiranjeevi launched his public contact program on Saturday by undertaking his first visit to Sricilla, a town of handloom weavers in Karimnagar district in the heart of the Telangana region.
Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi is expected to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday, raising hopes of an alliance between the two parties in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh.
About a fortnight after launching his party Praja Rajyam, Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi would be embarking on his maiden mass contact programme towards the month-end, amid criticism that he lacks clarity about his political agenda.A plan for the actor's tour of the 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh has almost been finalised, party spokesperson P Mithra said in Hyderabad.
The political migrations to Praja Rajyam, floated recently by Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi, continued with former Telugu Desam Party minister K Vidyadhar Rao on Monday joining the party along with his followers.Rao, who held several key positions in TDP during his 25-year-long political career, was expelled from the regional party a few months ago for openly supporting Chiranjeevi and predicting that the matinee idol would become the next chief minister.
As the relay hunger strike by the legislators from the Telangana region continued on third day on Monday, demanding the Centre to start the process of formation of separate state, the legislators from Andhra and Rayalseema regions were becoming active once again to bring counter pressure on the Central government.
Fast-unto-death by Congress Member of Parliament L Rajagopal and several other leaders, pressing for a unified Andhra Pradesh continued on Wednesday even as Chiranjeevi-led Praja Rajyam Party came under pressure from its MLAs to end its support for a separate Telangana.
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.
The talks between the ruling Congress party and the Praja Rajyam Party for a tie-up for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on Monday suffered a major setback.
The party is over at least for those who were hoping for a long political innings for Praja Rajyam, which had been launched with the ambitious goal of social justice.
A sneak peek at one of Telugu cinema's most awaited movie starring mega star Chiranjeevi's son.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti President K Chandrasekhar Rao has ruled out the possibility of his party merging with the Congress on Monday. After the merger of Telgu superstar Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress on Sunday, rumours were abuzz that TRS will do the same.
Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi has chosen the sun as the election symbol for his Praja Rajyam Party. The Election Commission of India today issued the orders, allotting the new symbol to the 11-month-old party. Disappointed with the party's electoral performance, in which it won only 18 assembly seats, the megastar decided to change the symbol.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Praja Rajyam Party chief K Chiranjeevi on Thursday met Governor E S L Narasimhan separately, amidst the speculation that the state is heading for President's rule.
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'.
Mega star and Praja Rajyam Party leader Chiranjeevi is into damage-control exercise after the stunning debacle for the party in the recently concluded Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh.
It was a mixed bag for star contenders in the fray at the hustings. While Shatrughan Sinha, Jayaprada, Chiranjeevi and Navjot Singh Sidhu tasted victory in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls, star contestants like Vinod Khanna, Nafisa Ali and Ambareesh bit the dust.
It was a mixed bag for the many film personalities who contested the Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh. Of the twelve personalities from the film industry who had contested the elections, only four managed to win.
A case has been registered against the Praja Rajyam party founder and actor Chiranjeevi for conducting road shows beyond 2200 hours at Narasaraopet town here, police said.
Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi on Monday virtually ruled out having any alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state elections, asserting that his newly floated Praja Rajyam is a secular party."We will not align with them because ours is a secular party," he told reporters. Observing that options are open for talking to all secular parties, he said that a decision would be taken only after the elections are announced.
Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi met Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy in New Delhi on Monday to seek a common symbol for his party Praja Rajyam. Chiranjeevi, who was accompanied by former union minister P Shivshankar, submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission, requesting that the rules for issuing a common symbol be amended. As per the EC's rules, a regional political party needs to secure six per cent of the votes and two elected representatives.
As many as 16 Congress MLAs backing YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy cross-voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against Kiran Reddy government, which survived because of the support from Praja Rajyam Party and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.
Singannagudem, a Dalit dominated small village in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh, received a pleasant surprise on Saturday when mega-star-turned-politician Chiranjeevi paid them a surprise visit. The chief of the Praja Rajyam party also participated in a community lunch to mark the 53rd death anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar. Chiranjeevi sat down on the floor with other villagers and shared their meal.Chiranjeevi's gesture floored the Dalit community in the village.
Posters heralding the entry of Tamil film star Rajnikant into politics by his fans sparked speculation that the superstar planned to make debut in politics much on the lines of Telugu filmstar Chiranjeevi. "Praja Rajyam (the party floated by Chiranjeevi) in Andhra Pradesh, Rajnirajyam in Tamil Nadu' read a poster that appeared in many parts of Coimbatore on Wednesday.
Rattled by the open defiance of its leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Saturday asked Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi not to field any nominees for the Rajya Sabha polls, so that there is no threat to party candidates.Chiranjeevi, who met Gandhi on her invitation, assured her that he would get back within two days after holding talks with party leaders.
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