Chiranjeevi – Hindu News Paper Articels on 31 October 2008

Chiru witnesses a ‘different Sircilla’ this time around

Low turnout for Praja Rajyam chief’s second visit; releases party’s Sircilla declaration

Chiru to reveal stand on Telangana before end of tour

Crowds seen at Vemulawada, Korutla and Metpalli

MATTER OF FAITH: Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi offers prayers at Sri Vemulawada Rajeshwara Swamy devasthanams by garlanding an ox as part of ‘kode mokku’ on Thursday.

SIRCILLA (KARIMNAGAR DT):

Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi’s ‘Praja Ankita Yatra’ in the Telangana region started off on a dull note due to a poor turnout, but the response improved as his motorcade rolled on to other places in the district on Thursday.

Belying the party leaders’ expectations, there was lukewarm response in Sircilla in contrast to the huge public turnout during Chiranjeevi’s earlier visit on September 20 to console the bereaved families of powerloom weavers. This initially dampened the enthusiasm of the party leaders who had created a hype about Chiranjeevi’s four-day tour of Karimnagar district.

While he was originally scheduled to reach here at 8.30 a.m., calls from party managers about the lack of crowds near Gandhi Chowk made the PR president slow his convoy from Hyderabad, 140 km away. Local leaders pulled out all stops in arranging vehicles to ferry people to the busy junction. All this led to a delay of about three hours though it helped in a much better attendance at the Old Bus Stand as well as two meetings at Vemulawada and those at Korutla and Metpalli. The low turnout was attributed to the failure of the aspirants for the party ticket from Sircilla Assembly to mobilise people as Chiranjeevi had announced that he would field a member of the Backward Classes community from this segment.

The PR leader declared that he would declare his party’s stand on Telangana before completion of his eight-day tour of the region. He gave this assurance on being greeted with the slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’ by people, including cadres of Telangana Rashtra Samiti, who wanted him to reveal his party’s stand on separate statehood.

Chiranjeevi sought to strike an emotional chord with the people by saying he fixed the second leg of his tour in this area only to show how much he cared for the people in this backward region.

Releasing the party’s Sircilla declaration, he said that the PR after being elected to power would distribute Re. 1 extra on each metre of cloth produced on the powerloom, arrange for waiver of loans availed by the weavers and distribution of yarn and procurement of the accumulated stocks.

Weavers were, however, shocked when Chiranjeevi said that if elected to power, he would ensure seven to eight hours of free power supply to the powerlooms as the industry requires 24-hour power supply.

 

PRP sees no opposition in coastal areas

Party receiving good response in Telangana too, says K.S.R. Murthy

Probe sought into corruption charges levelled against Minister

Kakinada:

The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) is hopeful of making a clean sweep of all Assembly constituencies in coastal Andhra Pradesh and it does not anticipate even a semblance of a fight from the ruling party, not to mention the seemingly unending woes of the TDP.

The PRP would make its mark in Telangana and Rayalaseema regions as well with social justice as the main election plank, said its leader K.S.R. Murthy.

Sensitive issue

Addressing mediapersons here on Thursday, Mr. Murthy said the Congress lost credibility and the TDP was not in a position to emerge unscathed from its problems. The PRP, he said, was trying to drive home the message that it was prepared to do its best for people’s welfare with service as the sole motto.

The PRP was planning ways to put an end to hardships of SCs, STs and Backward Classes, which were deprived of their rights for a long time.

Asked whether the PRP would prefer creation of separate Telangana, Mr. Murthy said party president Chiranjeevi would make a statement as it was a sensitive issue on which the party could not afford to take a hasty decision. The PRP was getting a good response in this region also contrary to perception that film stars would not be able to sway the electorate here, he asserted.

Dharna plan

Mr. Murthy said the PRP would picket East Godavari district Collector’s Office in a week if the government did not institute an inquiry into the corruption charges levelled by Small Scale Industries Minister Gollapalli Surya Rao against his cabinet colleague J.C. Diwakar Reddy, by the Lok Ayukta or a retired judge of the Supreme Court or Andhra Pradesh High Court. He said it was not a private matter to be deliberated in party forums as the Minister was accused of being involved in swindling of public money.

Many MLAs favoured an inquiry by a sitting judge knowing fully well that it was the least possible thing the government could do to ferret out such stark facts.

There were few instances when an inquiry was done by a sitting judge in India except the ones like Srikrishna Commission, which probed the Mumbai riots.

“It is unfortunate that similar charges traded by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Opposition leader N. Chandrababu Naidu in the Assembly were never inquired into at the highest level,” Mr. Murthy added.

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Chiranjeevi – Deccan Chronicle News Paper Articels on 31 October 2008

Poor crowd in T for Chiranjeevi’s yatra

 

PR chief ignores jinx enters temple

 

KARIMNAGAR:

 

Brushing aside the belief that visiting the Vemulawada temple is inauspicious for politicians, the Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi offered special pujas to Lord Rajanna and performed Kode Mokku ritual there on Thursday. He sought the blessings of the temple deity to strengthen the Praja Rajyam.

 

The superstition gained strength when N.T. Rama Rao lost his chief minister’s post in August 1995, months after visiting Vemulawada.

 

Ministers, Mr J. Ratnakar Rao and Mr Jeevan Reddy have visited the temple on several occasions in the last couple of years to dispel the superstition.

 

The PR’s campaign managers, who arranged the programme, justified the visit claiming that new entrants into politics were always rewarded by Lord Rajanna.

 

Chiranjeevi came down heavily on the government for failing to provide employment to the unemployed youth and forcing them to migrate to Gulf countries. “Several directors nurtured my film career for 30 years and now you are my directors to bless me to usher in Praja Rajyam,” he said.

 

          Earlier, the Praja Ankita Yatra in north Telangana started on a dull note in Sircilla on Thursday. There was a low turnout of people. Even though people sought a clear statement on separate Telangana, Chiranjeevi said he would make it clear before concluding his yatra in Telangana.

Chiranjeevi – Times of India News Paper Articels on 31 October 2008

Chiru weaves a hit at Sircilla

OOZING CONFIDENCE: Chiranjeevi flashes a thumb up sign during his road show at Sircilla on Thursday

 

 

Sircilla:

 

If the crowd turnout is any indicator, Chiranjeevi’s second leg of Praja Ankita Yatra which started off in this weavers’ town on Thursday, can be termed as a ‘mega hit.’ From the huge crowds that assembled at his road show at Sircilla, there were nothing but cheers all through his yatra as he thundered, “I will not leave the region without making my stand clear on the separate Telangana issue.”

 

Virtually endorsing the demand for separate Telangana state, Chiranjeevi said his party’s decision would not be different from what the people have been aspiring for all along. “I understand the feelings of the people. And my decision would not be different from your sentiments,” he asserted.

 

The second round of his tour would cover Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts over the next eight days.

 

As thousands of people welcomed him, the actor-tur nedpolitician said his party would be the ‘answer’ to all the problems being faced by the weavers of the town and the region in general. Without naming any party, he hit out at the political parties for exploiting the ‘innocence’ of Telangana people. The PRP chief claimed that the government was spurred into action to solve the problems of the weavers only after his visit to the town on an earlier occasion.

 

Trying to strike an emotional chord, he said all the loans taken by the weavers would be waived if his party came to power. He also assured an increase in the wages of the weavers and a stipend of Rs 3,000 to each family. “Our government would buy all the piled-up stocks and would provide employment to the weavers,” he said.

 

He asserted that all the weavers would get free power for their powerlooms. “A counselling centre has been opened in the town by the PRP to help the weavers in distress and prevent them from committing suicide,” he noted. Referring to the Gulf returnees, Chiranjeevi said his government would implement the Kerala model to provide employment to the youth and prevent them from migrating to the Gulf.

 

Citing his film collection records, he said the Nizam area has always topped the collections of his movies and added that the people in the region are overwhelmingly supporting him in his political career also. Chiru began his yatra from Tamballapally village and entered Sircilla. He later addressed road shows at Tippapuram and the temple town of Vemulawada. The PRP chief later proceeded to Rudrangi, Indurthy and Korutla and made a night halt at Metpally.

 

After touring Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts as part of his mass contact programme from October 9, Chiranjeevi had cut short his nine-day tour to a week because of a sore throat.

 

 

PRP to set up party committees in Vizag

 

ON POLL MODE

 

Visakhapatnam:

 

The Prajarajyam party has begun getting its act together on its organisational set-up as it has begun preparing constituency-wise committees for the first time in the state from this port city.

 

Party insiders say that the proposed list of constituencies committees of the district has been sent to the party high command for approval. Visakhapatnam district has 15 Assembly seats after the delimitation of the constituencies. The committees would consist of experienced local leaders and key leaders of Chiranjeevi Fans Associations and women cadre from Mahila Varadhi, besides important persons from all castes, sections and minorities, sources said.

 

Each committee would have a minimum of 15 to 25 members and there would be no convener or the chairman for the committees.

 

For any matter or issue, the collective decision of the committees would be forwarded to the high command, a PRP source said.

 

A key leader in the PRP told TOI that as per the instruction of Allu Aravind, the man behind Chiranjeevi’s political career, the key leaders in the PRP had prepared the list of the committees. These committees would appoint the mandal and divisional-level committees once the list of the constituency-wise committees were finalised by the PRP top brass.

 

These committees would act as coordinators between the grassroot -level committees and the party high command, the Prajarajyam sources revealed. 

Chiranjeevi – Times of India News Paper Articels on 30 October 2008

Chiru gets first taste of sting operation

 

Hyderabad:

 

A sting operation showing Chiranjeevi of the Prajarajyam Party sharing his intimate views with IT professional recently sent the fledgling party into a tizzy. The nine-minute video clip of a closed-door meeting Chiranjeevi had with IT professionals was telecast by local news channels on Wednesday. The clip was also uploaded on the internet.

 

The video showed Chiranjeevi interacting with the IT professional on different issues like political corruption, SEZs, weavers’ deaths, etc. During the interaction, Chiranjeevi asked the participants to be wary of politicians willing to join PRP. He went on to observe, “It may be inevitable for the party in some places because of their experience but they don’t bring in freshness.” “The change we want to bring in will not be achieved if we open the floodgates to politicians,” he added.

 

Chiranjeevi was also seen saying that PRP rank and file should mingle with their counterparts in other political parties and be friendly with them so that they can find out the developments there. “Some kind of spying,” he told them, chuckling. In the same breath he advised them to be cautious lest they should land in trouble if they betray their real intentions.

 

Soon after the telecast of the video clipping, the bloggers were busy posting comments for and against the episode. It is not clear as to who is behind this sting operation and its purpose.

 

What baffled the party leadership was how the meeting held within the four walls of the party office was reported in the media. PRP sources say that an important file went missing from Chiranjeevi’s office recently and they suspect that it is an insider job.

 

Following this, Chiranjeevi has kept the keys of his office with one of his most trusted secretaries, party sources added.

 

It may be recalled that party spokesman Parkala Prabhakar recently said that he had a strong feeling that their telephones were being tapped. He said the suspicion was strengthened since the discussion that had taken place between Allu Arvind and TRS MLA T Harish Rao was reported in to by the media. 

Chiranjeevi – Hindu News Paper Articels on 30 October 2008

PR stand on Telangana put on hold

It will be announced at an ‘appropriate time’: Mitra

Statement comes a day ahead of Chiru’s yatra

Mitra flays YSR’s statement on coastal corridor

HYDERABAD:

The Praja Rajyam has made it clear that it was in no hurry to announce its stand on separate Telangana and the statement of party president Chiranjeevi at Tirupati public meeting on Telangana still holds well.

The PR would not finalise its decisions on crucial issues just because other parties were hurriedly announcing their stand. It would announce its line on Telangana “at an appropriate time” and had not set any timeframe. It was for Mr. Chiranjeevi to make an announcement after examining all aspects, PR spokesman P. Mitra said.

The statement comes a day ahead of Mr. Chiranjeevi’s second leg of Praja Ankita Yatra in Telangana districts slated to commence at Sircilla in Karimnagar district on Thursday. “We will examine all aspects and announce a decision that is in the interests of the party,” he said.

Dr. Mitra was critical of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for claiming that the proposed coastal corridor was a just a road and that the government would stop land acquisition if the people opposed it. The advertisements issued by the government on the extent of land required for setting up special economic zones and other industrial corridors was in public domain and what was being projected was “false”.

Replying to queries, Dr. Mitra said CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan’s meeting with Mr. Chiranjeevi was aimed at exchanging views on the national and State political scenario and there was no discussion about alliances. The talk of an alternative to the Congress and the BJP at the national level was also preliminary as there was no clear picture of the course that would be adopted by other parties.

 

‘PR chief should disclose assets’

KARIMNAGAR:

AP Markfed chairman Ponnam Prabhakar has asked Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi to make public his assets before launching his second phase of Praja Ankitha Yatra in Karimnagar district from Sircilla. “Now that he has entered public life, he should disclose his assets and properties to ensure transparency,” he told reporters here on Wednesday.

 

Praja Rajyam Party women’s meet on November 3

Key roles women will have to play in party will be discussed

VISAKHAPATNAM:

Praja Rajyam Party mahila sadassu will be held at Hotel Daspalla on November 3.

According to new party’s leader in north Andhra and former MP and MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao, the meeting will discuss the key role women have to play and their responsibilities to bring political awareness among them.

Also, the portfolios for women leaders would come up. All the `Vaaradhi’ members in the 15 Assembly segments were welcome to attend the sadassu which was originally slated to be held on Wednesday but had to be postponed to Monday due to unavoidable circumstances, he said.

The women’s meet will be held at a time where the men, many of whom were among the top leaders in the three major parties of the Congress, Telugu Desam and Bharatiya Janata Party, are at a loss to know where exactly they fit in the PRP.

A seasoned political leader has observed that the new party was very badly organised with a huge gap between mega star Chiranjeevi who is the party supreme and the cadre.

Confusion

“Nobody knows what exactly they should do. Even if some of the leaders want to get active, they are not acknowledged as leaders by the fans of Chiranjeevi and Pavan Kalyan who have scant respect for them.

That is because the all-import fan-following was clearly told by the party high command that they need not bother about anyone else except Chiranjeevi and that there were no leaders except all workers.

This has left the nascent party in disarray from the beginning,” he said.

The situation came to such a pass that some of the leaders who joined the party with fanfare recently got disillusioned within no time as the party did not bother to take any initiative to utilize their services in building the new party, it was said.

When it was found they almost made up their mind to leave Praja Rajyam again, some active leaders pacified them and immediately arranged a meeting with Chiranjeevi in Hyderabad to impress upon them that their services were very much required in the elections which are not very far, and which the Praja Rajyam party aims at sweeping.

 

PRP flags hoisted

The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) flags were hoisted at Poorna Market main road (23rd ward), near the Old Post Office (26th ward) and Velampeta on Wednesday.

The flags were unfurled by physically challenged persons living in respective areas. The programmes were organised by PRP leader Sunkari Ravindra. Leaders S.V. Adinarayana, Zaheer Ahmed and R. Jhansi were among those who attended.

 

Eager fans all set to welcome Chiru

Party leaders gear up from PR chief’s tour

Chiru to tour Warangal district from Nov. 2 to 4

70 vehicles, 300 security personnel to accompany Chiru

WARANGAL:

The public and fans of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi are eager to have glimpse of their ‘megastar’ while the aspirants are gearing up to show their strength during the Praja Rajyam chief’s tour beginning November 2 night.

Mr. Chiranjeevi is scheduled to tour for three days from November 2 to 4. He will enter the district at Elakathurthi from Karimnagar district on November 2 nights. He will address road shows in Hanamkonda and Warangal towns and stay for night.

On November 3, Mr. Chiranjeevi will visit Parkal mandal and then proceed to Medaram and surrounding tribal areas before reaching Mulug mandal headquarters for night stay.

Next day, he will proceed to Narasampet mandal and then tour Mahabubabad area. After staying overnight, he will go to Khammam on November 5 morning, according to tentative schedule drafted by the party observers here.

Team of doctors

Party activist M. Seshu Madhav said two teams of doctors — one from Hyderabad and one from Warangal district — would accompany the PR leader during his tour in the district. A total of 70 vehicles will form part of the convoy that includes about 300 security personnel.

As usual, the fans and the party workers are planning to go all out in trying to show their strength while aspirants who joined the party in recent times and those who migrated from other political parties are planning in their own ways to attract the attention of Mr. Chiranjeevi.

Professionals

Sources indicate that leaders who joined from other parties were trying to mobilise people in large numbers and join them in Praja Rajyam in the presence of Mr. Chiranjeevi while professionals like doctors and lawyers were also striving to bring their colleagues in large numbers to admit them into the party.

Mean while, party leaders who are part of the team that finalised the route map made a note of the local issues to that will be incorporated during the PR chief’s speeches. 

Chiranjeevi – Deccan Chronicle News Paper Articels on 30 October 2008

Chiranjeevi order to spy goes on You Tube

 

Hyderabad:

A secretly recorded video of megastar Chiran-jeevi giving directions to his party district coordinators to spy on leaders who have come in from other parties has embarrassed the Praja Rajyam to no end.

The video, which has been posted in popular website YouTube, was recorded with a spy camera by a leader who took part in the core committee meeting. It was also circulated to a section of the press. In the video, Chiranjeevi can be seen saying that many whom he considered close aides were passing on information to rivals.

“These days we can’t believe anybody however big they may be,” he says in the video grab. “After all we are all human beings and have so many desires. So I want you to spy on the movements of politicians in our party.”  The Praja Rajyam is red-faced that a meeting which was held to chalk out plans to snoop on leaders was itself spied upon.

More so, since it has happened just two days after the party accused the government of tapping the cell phones of its leaders. The issue came out just days after this paper reported that party observers had been asked to spy on new entrants. Chiranjeevi’s directive has also given credence to criticism that Praja Rajyam istreating leaders who came in from the Congress  and the Telugu Desam with derision and suspicion.

The core committee meeting was held in the context of a ‘classified file’ going missing from the Praja Rajyam headquarters despite it being under constant surveillance by CCTV cameras.  The party spokesperson, Mr P. Mitra, however defended the plans to spy on the activities of the party leaders.  “There is nothing wrong in it,” he said. “We are keeping tabs on the politicians who came in from other parties only to keep the party corruption free.” 

This newspaper had reported the other day that the party had appointed district coordinators to spy on the movements of leaders. The Praja Rajyam top brass is also afraid that politicians from other parties may now think twice before crossing over.  Meanwhile, the second phase of Chiranjeevi’s Praja Ankita Yatra will begin from Siricilla in Karimnagar district on Thursday.

 

State CPI prefers PR to Desam

Hyderabad:

Majority of the leaders in the state executive of the Communist Party of India have opposed the idea of having an electoral alliance with the Telugu Desam. They are keen on allying with the Praja Rajyam.

However, the party central leadership wants to wait for some more time before taking a final decision. The CPI general secretary, Mr A.B. Bardhan, who was in the city for the state executive meet, told mediapersons on Wednesday that the party was not in a hurry.

“General elections may happen either in April or May leaving enough time to think of alliances,” he said. “For now, we are focusing on issues affecting the country’s integrity and secularism.” Mr Bardhan, however, met top leaders of both the Praja Rajyam and the TD separately and held discussions with them. He went to the Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi’s residence on Tuesday along with CPI deputy general secretary, Mr S. Sudhakar Reddy, and the state secretary, Mr K. Narayana. He also had a breakfast meeting with the TD president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Wednesday morning.

Interestingly, Mr Narayana skipped the breakfast meeting with Mr Naidu citing health reasons. He also said after the state executive meeting that the CPI found nothing objectionable in the Praja Rajyam policies.

Mr Bardhan justified Mr Narayana’s absence by saying that the latter was suffering from spondylitis. But immediately after this, the CPI state leader gave interviews to the electronic media and also participated actively in the state committee meeting. Also, while maintaining that the state committee would finally abide by the decision of the central leadership, he added that it could hold a different view on alliances.

The CPI’s reluctance to ally with the TD has poured cold water over Mr Naidu’s dreams of forming a grand alliance to oppose the Congress. Top brass of the Left parties has close rapport with Mr Naidu, but they too are strategically silent on his proposal. Though Mr Bardhan called on Mr Naidu at the latter’s residence and had breakfast with the TD chief, he was noncommittal. “He is an old friend,” said Mr Bardhan, when mediapersons confronted him. “We have discussed various issues including the Indo-US nuclear deal.”  However, when asked whether the CPI’s closest friend was the TD or the PR, Mr Bardhan sidestepped it neatly with a quip: “My closest friend is my wife.”

 

Membership drive in PR

Kakinada:

The Praja Rajyam party will go for a membership drive in East Godavari district from October 26 with a target of 10 lakh.  Along with this, the party will organise constituency-wise meetings with cadre, giving due consideration and recognition to fans of party founder Chiranjeevi. In the last three days, an overall review of the party position and steps to develop a mass base were discussed by the coordination committee appointed to look after party affairs in the district.

Details of the three-day deliberations were disclosed by committee members, M. Nagendra, Kanakaraju Suri, G. Wesley and G. Tammaiah on Friday evening.

Speaking to mediapersons at the party district unit office, the members said that in all the three days, they discussed party affairs with the leaders of the three parliamentary constituencies of Amalapuram, Kakinada and Rajahmundry. They said Mr Tammineni Sitaram, leader of the committee, will join the team in the next two days. They also said services of Chiranjeevi fans will be utilised during the membership drive and denied neglect of these sections’ interests in any form. They were the backbone of the party, they said.

The committee members also denied any expulsion from the party in the last few days as reported in a section of the electronic media. They also denied any spy work entrusted to party office incharges, Nagendra and Ms Santi by the party state leadership over the activities of party leaders.

Chiranjeevi – Andhra Jyothy News Paper Articels on 30 October 2008

Chiru gets first taste of sting operation

 

Chiru gets first taste of sting operation