Cong, TDP leaders want to join Chiranjeevi

Even though the megastar of Telugu cinema Chiranjeevi was yet to formally launch his political party, only his announcement about entering politics has brought many senior leaders of different parties rushing to his door.

Just a day after the star held his maiden press conference to say he was coming into public life to serve the people, a member of Parliament of Congress, two senior leaders of the Telugu Desam Party and several other prominent figures announced their decision to join his party.

In an indication that there was a groundswell of support for Chiranjeevi among weaker sections, a prominent Dalit leader Katti Padma Rao met the star and announced his decision to join his yet to be named party.

After meeting Padma Rao, Chiranjeevi said that it was a big first step for him to get closer to the Dalits and other weaker sections.

"Leaders like Katti Padma Rao will be a big asset for us," he said. Katti Padma Rao hails from Guntur district in coastal Andhra and is quite a popular figure among the Dalits.

Similarly another important figure Karem Sivaji, the president of a Dalit organisation Mala Mahanadu also met Allu Arvind, brother in law of Chiranjeevi. Sivaji said that after the issue was discussed in the organization he will decided about joining the new party.

There are also indications that BC United Forum, comprising of several backward classes groups will merge itself with Chiranjeevi's party and a decision will be announced in the public meeting to be held in Tirupati on August 26.

MP quits Congress

Harirama Jogaiah, the dissident Congress member of Lok Sabha from Narsapur, has formally quit the party and announced his decision to join Chiranjeevi.

"I am not quitting the Congress party for any position or power. I am doing it because there is no social justice in the party. I will not contest the next elections but only campaign for Chiranjeevi as an ordinary worker," he said.

Jogaiah, who was earlier with the TDP, had already indicated that he will join the new party as soon as it is launched.

The TDP on the other hand suffered a big setback with two of its leaders quitting the party. The former member of Rajya Sabha and former president of its women's wing Vanga Geeta announced her resignation from the TDP.

"There is no place for hard working people in the TDP," said Vanga Geeta who, like Chiranjeevi belongs to Kapu community in the Godavari belt.

D Srinivas, a former politburo member of the TDP from Karimnagar, has also resigned from the party and will be joining Chiranjeevi's party.

But Chiranjeevi's political move seems to be having a much bigger and deeper impact in pockets of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema region.

Another TDP leader from West Godavari district K Vidyadhar Rao has already joined Chiranjeevi's camp.

The influx of the leaders of other parties has left the fans and supporters of Chiranjeevi worried that they will bring with them the corrupt political culture and race for the posts.

Chiranjeevi defended the admission of the leaders of other parties into his ranks saying that other parties too had good, honest and able people.

"There are good people in every party and I don't see anything wrong in taking them in my party if they come forward. They are senior people and we need the experience of senior people as well as the young blood," he told his maiden press conference.

Party insiders say that the next few days will see many more leaders quitting different parties and joining Chiranjeevi.

Star to campaign in own helicopter

Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi and his advisors were planning to buy a helicopter for the statewide campaign. If it happens, Chiranjeevi will become the first political figure in the state to have his own helicopter.

According to the sources in Chiranjeevi's camp, the star would like to visit as many parts of the state as possible in the first round to introduce himself to the masses in the new role of a political leader and familiarise the people with this party, its flag and symbol.

The sources said that acquiring his own helicopter had become necessary because hardly six months time was left for the next assembly elections and time was not sufficient for the star to cover the entire state by road.

NRIs to Campaign

Meanwhile, a group of 320 non resident Indians, mostly from the United States, have arrived in Hyderabad to take up a largescale publicity campaign in support of the Chiranjeevi.

The NRIs, who will campaign for almost three weeks in different parts of the state in support of the star, arrived in Hyderabad on Monday.

They have already been campaigning in the United States for Chiranjeevi.

The group met Allu Arvind to chalk out the plans for their campaign and identified the issues to be focused.