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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
The second day of the bandh call for Friday on the Telangana issue stands withdrawn in view of Christmas, a joint action committee of Telangana leaders has announced.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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 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 Praja Rajyam Party seems to be facing lot of problems even as it is completing one year of its existence shortly and its chief, megastar Chiranjeevi, is celebrating his birthday on Saturday
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.
"Tirupati is fixed. I may also contest from my native Narsapuram in West Godavari district if I decide to stand from a second constituency," Chiranjeevi told media persons at Rajahmundry on Wednesday.
The Congress and the Grand Alliance of the Telugu Desam Party, the Telengana Rashtra Samithi, the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Communist Party of India are expected to be locked in a direct contest for electoral supremacy in Andhra Pradesh, with Praja Rajyam Party likely to emerge as a dark horse with its chief Chiranjeevi hoping to do an Obama with his 'change' mantra.
In a major setback to the Praja Rajyam party of filmstar Chiranjeevi in Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission of India has rejected its request for a common election symbol on the ground that the party has not contested even a single election so far.
There are signs of trouble between the film actor Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party and the Nava Telangana Party over the issue of an alliance or understanding with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Even as the NTP president T Devender Goud is scheduled to meet BJP's the prime ministerial candidate L K Advani and the party president Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Thursday, Chiranjeevi has ruled out the possibility of a tie up with the saffron party.
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.
Addressing a meeting of women on the occasion of oath taking by the state committee of women's wing of his party, Chiranjeevi expressed concern over the proliferation of liquor shops, especially in the rural areas and its impact on the law and order and the rural economy and growing atrocities on women.
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 police said incident occurred this evening when he was participating in a road show in Husnabad mandal of Karimnagar district. "As he waved back his hands in response to the reception by his fans and supporters, his hand touched an over head electric wire and he collapsed on the roof of his vehicle", an onlooker said.
There was more political drama in Andhra Pradesh over the Telangana issue with 11 members of the Praja Rajyam Party tendering their resignation.
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.
Actresses-turned-politicians Vijaya Santhi and R K Roja are now apparently leaving no occasion to lash out at Chiranjeevi, who launched his Praja Rajyam Party last month.
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.
Chiranjeevi has unveiled an attractive package for the poor to insulate them from the impact of rising prices. PRP has promised that if it comes to power it will provide each poor family a package of 25 kg rice, 1 kg edible oil, 1 kg pulses, 2 kg onion, 1 kg salt and half kg tamarind -- all for mere Rs 100. Addressing a meeting in Nellore district, Chiranjeevi pointed out that an earning of Rs 100 after a day of hard work was insufficient to feed a poor family.
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.
It is raining political parties in Andhra Pradesh!
Pawan Kalyan has proved that he is a bigger star in politics compared to his brother, megastar Chiranjeevi. However, despite being rivals on the political battlefield, the two brothers never entered into a slander match. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
Telugu superstar and Union minister Chiranjeveei, who merged his Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress, is surely having problems with his brother Pawan Kalyan, another popular film star. The latter, who never agreed with his elder brother's decision to join Congress, has now decided to float a new party to make certain electoral gains in the politically sensitive Seema-Andhra region. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
Telugu superstar and Union minister Chiranjeveei, who merged his Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress, is surely having problems with his brother Pawan Kalyan, another popular film star. The latter, who never agreed with his elder brother's decision to join Congress, has now decided to float a new party to make certain electoral gains in the politically sensitive Seema-Andhra region. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
Senior YSR Congress party leader Shobha Nagi Reddy succumbed to multiple injuries after she met with an accident in the wee hours in Kurnool district.