Tirupati awaits Chiranjeevi's mega show

It's lights, camera and action for megastar Chiranjeevi. Only this time he will be facing hundreds of cameras for a different reason. The temple town of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, is the centre of action on Tuesday with Chiranjeevi all set to announce the name of his new political party.

Fans are ecstatic about the event and have been camping in Tirupati for the past two days to ensure that everything goes off smoothly for their beloved hero.

"We are expecting nearly 10 lakh people," says Vijay, a fan who has been helping out in the arrangements. "We have a lot of expectations from Chiranjeevi and we are confident that he will live up to the promises he has made."

Chiranjeevi will address a mammoth gathering at the Avilala Cheruvu on Tuesday at 4 pm. He is expected to be the lone speaker during the event. During the address, he will announce the name of his new party and also declare the agenda of his party for the 2009 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections.

Chiranjeevi's supporters say that this will be an event to remember and they intend putting up such a show that the people of Andhra Pradesh will always remember.

There are around 4,000 volunteers who are working on the event. They have been instructed to keep things under check and ensure that none from the crowd face any sort of difficulty. They have also been instructed to ensure that the pilgrims visiting the holy shrine at Tirupati are not affected in any manner.

The public meeting is scheduled between 4 pm and 7 pm. The three-hour extravaganza will include a cultural programme lasting an hour.

The star himself will speak for an hour, while the remaining time will involve announcements such as the agenda and also welcoming new entrants into the party.

An eight-feet high dais has been constructed. Also, a massive screen has been put up to ensure that none miss even a moment of the star's political action.

Special seating arrangements too have been made. Separate arrangements for women and physically handicapped persons have been made in the front row.

Apart from a huge screen, around 60 LCD monitors have been put up in the ground for the benefit of the public.

The crowds, especially from the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh, are being ferried in large numbers. A total of 18 special trains have been arranged to bring in 60,000 people.

Around 50,000 people are expected to reach by the regular train service. A fleet of buses and other vehicles too have been arranged to bring in the supporters.