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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
The Praja Rajyam on Wednesday asked the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct a probe into the allegations of irregularities against a blood bank run by party chief Chiranjeevi.
According to sources, there are several irregularities in Chiranjeevi's application. Instead of the requisite 100 signatories of party workers for registration, Chiranjivi has enclosed just 88 applications. (The actor considers 8 as his lucky number, so Chiranjeevi has submitted only 88 applications)
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.
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.
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.
If the BJP gets only 200 seats and wants to remain in power, Modi will have to make way -- either for a proxy of his choice, or for an internal rival, predicts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
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.
Many often stereotype Andhra Pradesh politics as being star-struck, but as Pawan Kalyan's political journey shows, stars are turning out to be a passing cloud.
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.
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.
Seeking to put its house in order in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress on Monday appointed senior state minister Botsa Satyanarayana as Pradesh Congress Committee president.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday left for Delhi, where he is expected to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and possibly discuss an expansion of his cabinet and Telangana, among other issues. There has been speculation that the chief minister would induct only two legislators of erstwhile Praja Rajyam Party into his cabinet. It is speculated that the cabinet re-jig may take place anytime between January 21 and 28.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas has welcomed Praja Rajyam chief K Chiranjeevi's assurance on extending his party's support to the Congress government in the state if the situation demanded.
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 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.
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.
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.
More than 30 legislators of Telangana region belonging to the TRS, Congress, Telugu Desam Party and Praja Rajyam Party have announced their resignation.
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.
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 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.
Andhra Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Friday arrived in Delhi to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to discuss various issues including the controversial padayatra undertaken by party leader Jaganmohan Reddy, expansion of the state cabinet and the selection of candidates for the by-elections in the Telangana region. He is also expected to raise the issue of Praja Rajyam leader Chiranjeevi's increasing proximity to the Congress.
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.
Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi lacks sympathy for Telangana though he says that he is equally concerned about all regions of Andhra Pradesh, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao has alleged.
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.
The MLAs -- 10 from the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, 2 from Congress, one each from Bharatiya Janata Party, Telugu Desam Party and Praja Rajyam -- met Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy in Hyderabad and submitted their resignation. The legislators said they resigned in order to mount pressure on the Centre to take immediate steps for formation of a separate state.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was criticised by two opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh -- Telugu Desam and Praja Rajyam -- which said he was "adding fuel to fire" over the contentious Telangana issue.
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