Chiranjeevi News | Congress Praja Rajyam tie-up | Chiranjeevi insurance

Cong buys Chiranjeevi insurance against YSJ

Congress may have found an out-of-the-box solution to settle the Andhra Pradesh leadership issue. The party has roped in actor Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections to be held later this month.

The tie-up has sent shock waves through the Andhra unit of the party as its real significance goes much beyond the local body elections in Hyderabad on November 23. The move effectively sidelines late Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jaganmohan Reddy and puts in place a safety net for the K Rosaiah government in the state in case the Jagan faction decides to walk out of the party. PRP has 18 MLAs in the 294-member Andhra Pradesh assembly.

There was speculation that the resignation of state women welfare minister Konda Surekha last week could have hastened efforts by Congress to insulate the party from desertions by Mr Reddy’s supporters.

However, it is the prospect that the Congress high command has found a face fill up the leadership vacuum left behind by YSR that has fuelled speculation about how the tactical move will play out in the run up to the assembly elections in 2014. Political observers suggest future developments will have to be watched closely to decipher exactly where the charismatic and popular matinee idol would fit in the Congress scheme of things.

In the absence of a replacement for YSR, the party may have handed over charge to the experienced Rosaiah but there is little doubt Congress will be looking for a leader who can attract crowds for the next assembly polls. YSR’s 36-year old son is ruled out, at least for the moment. The high command has signalled its reluctance to hand over the leadership baton to Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, who is seen as too young and inexperienced . Moreover, the campaign launched by the Jagan group to install him as CM immediately after his father’s death was also seen as a move to arm-twist the high command.

The only draw back for the Congress in the alliance lies in the performance of PRP. Mr Chiranjeevi , who made a big bang entry on the political scene with a massive rally in Tirupati, was not able to demonstrate N T Rama Rao-kind of appeal in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections held this year. Though he served to damage the opposition TDP in the elections, his party only managed to pick up 18 seats. It remains to be seen how Congress-PRP alliance performs.

The tie-up was formalised after negotiations between APCC president D Srinivas and PRP leader and Mr Chiranjeevi’s brother-in-law Allu Aravind.

Congress plans long-term tie-up with Praja Rajyam

Unfazed by the ‘U’ turn it made over the move to forge an alliance with the Praja Rajyam, the Congress leadership is said to have decided to continue efforts for friendly ties in the long-term interests of the ruling party.

Though the present alliance for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections is off, top leaders do not rule out roping in the PR in future as its partner. Notwithstanding the strong opposition from YSR loyalists, the Congress leadership has not lost hope and wants to wait for an opportune time to bring the PR to its side.

“The central leadership has only said the alliance for the GHMC elections is over,” a senior APCC functionary said, adding that top leaders in New Delhi favoured the Congress-PR partnership. The leader reasoned that it was necessary for the party to tap the PR which has 18 MLAs, given the slender margin the ruling party has in the Assembly. “If the alliance had materialised, merger of PR with Congress would have been the next step,” the APCC leader observed.

He also said it was in the presence of AICC general secretary M. Veerappa Moily that K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao, a close aide of YSR, referred to PR’s keenness to align with the Congress in the GHMC elections. Mr. Moily is arriving here on Wednesday to oversee selection of candidates.

DS takes responsibility

In an informal chat with reporters on Tuesday, APCC president D. Srinivas said he owned up full responsibility for the alliance not fructifying and it was not right to blame PR chief Chiranjeevi or other leaders.

The PR too confirmed that the Congress high command was interested in continuing the ‘friendship’ despite the aborted alliance. It is learnt that Mr. Moily telephoned Mr. Chiranjeevi on Tuesday and expressed the hope that the two parties could be ‘friends’. Mr. Moily is said to have admitted that pressure from a section in the Congress led to failure of the alliance. Mr. Chiranjeevi discussed the failed attempt with his party legislators on Tuesday. It is understood that the PR’s political affairs committee on Monday favoured a ‘conditional relationship’ which protected the interests of the party legislators in the present House and in the 2014 elections.

Beeline to camp office

Meanwhile, followers of YSR continued to make a beeline to the camp office. Ministers – P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, B. Srinivasulu Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Danam Nagender met Congress MP Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

Edited: November 4th, 2009