Chiranjeevi’s PRP merges with Congress

IANS/New Delhi/Hyderabad

In a major realignment of political forces in Andhra Pradesh, Telugu superstar K Chiranjeevi yesterday announced the merger of his Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) with the ruling Congress after a meeting with party chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

The actor-turned-politician said there was "no opposition” from within his three-year-old regional party to the merger.

"The PRP will now merge with the Congress. As of now, Chiranjeevi is part of the Congress family,” federal Law Minister M Veerappa Moily told reporters, with the actor standing by his side.

Asked if he expected a cabinet berth, Chiranjeevi said: "I don’t expect anything. It is their (Congress) duty to allocate...”

Chiranjeevi, who launched the PRP in 2008, said he remained committed to social justice.

"The merger will help in achieving the goal of social justice. I am for the betterment of the people of the state,” he said.

Chiranjeevi said he would "not join the state government. There is no such idea.”

"It is a historic day.”

The meeting between Gandhi and Chiranjeevi yesterday took place at the invitation of the Congress president.

The decks were cleared for the merger following a meeting between Defence Minister A K Antony and Chiranjeevi in Hyderabad early this week.

The Congress has been worried over the threat posed by former party MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to its government in Andhra Pradesh and had been trying to woo the PRP to either merge with it or join the government.

The PRP has 18 legislators in the 294-member assembly. The Congress with 156 members, enjoys a slender majority.

The merger evoked mixed reactions in Andhra Pradesh. While the majority of PRP legislators welcomed the move, at least two legislators supporting Jaganmohan Reddy criticised Chiranjeevi.

There were celebrations at the PRP headquarters in Hyderabad as supporters and fans of Chiranjeevi said they would continue to back him irrespective of the party he is in.

State Congress spokesman N Tulasi Reddy said the merger would strengthen the party in Andhra Pradesh.

However, Congress leaders from Telangana, including ministers, MPs and legislators, went into a huddle to discuss the development as Chiranjeevi is opposed to the demand for a separate state.

Pro-Telangana groups see the development as an attempt by the Congress Party to weaken the Telangana movement.

Jaganmohan Reddy’s camp hit out at Chiranjeevi, saying the merger was for his selfish interests.

Analysts said the actor, who gave many block busters to the film industry and was seen as the future chief minister by millions of fans, has disappointed them by his move because he had floated the party to provide an alternative to both the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

With many top leaders deserting him after the party flopped in the 2009 parliamentary and assembly elections, Chiranjeevi was feeling isolated and was under pressure from a section of his legislators to merge with the Congress.

In the 2009 elections, the PRP got only 18 seats in the 294-member assembly and drew a blank in the Lok Sabha elections. The actor himself lost the elections in his native West Godavari district but was elected from Tirupati.

Many leaders who quit the TDP and the Congress before the elections to join the PRP began deserting him after the elections.