ViKaTaKaVi - Lal Salam

We are sidelined: Chiranjeevi fans

"We are getting a raw deal in the party," president of a district Chiranjeevi fans association lamented at the Praja Rajyam Party office

 

Ironically, senior political leaders who jumped into the actor's outfit leaving their parent parties too aren't exactly happy with the state of affairs in Praja Rajyam.

The coterie around Chiranjeevi is reportedly trying to "dictate terms" even to seasoned politicians, who earlier held important positions in their parties as well as the government. Now, some of such leaders are apparently regretting their decision to join hands with Chiranjeevi.

"It's a different kind of mess out here," one former minister said. "People here seem to have lot of airs about themselves. You don't find such a situation in any political party," he pointed out.

It's a Shame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSFXb4u84L4

Chiranjeevi accused of role in inter-caste marriage

Hyderabad Sept. 4: Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi has landed in a controversy with a couple alleging that he had played a role in forcing their daughter to marry the son of the Dalit poet, Katti Padma Rao. The actor’s aides said he had only attended the marriage as a guest. Mr Subba Rao and Mrs Vani of T. Gokavaram village in West Godavari district, told mediapersons that their daughter Nalini was abducted and brought to the city. The couple said they came to the city after getting a phone call from their daughter informing that she was in the poet’s house in Erramanzil Colony.
When they met Mr Padma Rao, he suggested that Nandini be allowed to marry his son Chetan as they were both majors. The parents did not approve of this and insisted on speaking to the girl. "We came to know that marriage was performed with the blessings of Chiranjeevi," said Mr Subba Rao. The shocked parents rushed to the office of Praja Rajyam. "The people there sent us away saying they had no information about the girl," said Ms Vani Rao. "Chiranjeevi not only attended the marriage at Film Nagar Club in Jubilee Hills but announced that he would adopt the girl."
She said Chiranjeevi, who was upset by his own daughter’s elopement, should have talked to them. The couple threatened to hold a dharna and a hunger strike before the party office if Chiranjeevi did not hand over their daughter in the next 24 hours. "We are not opposed to our daughter’s wishes but we believe she was forced to marry," said Ms Vani Rao. "Chiranjeevi, who spoke so much about his mother, should have understood our agony." Mr Padma Rao denied that Nalini was forced and added that the actor had no role in the marriage. "Her parents are against the inter-caste marriage though we asked them to consider the children’s love for each other," he said. The PR spokesperson, Mr P. Prabhakar, said Chiranjeevi had not promised to adopt the girl. "He just attended the marriage as a guest," he said.

Chiru Praja Rajyam in for name trouble

Hyderabad Aug. 28: Superstar Chiranjeevi had announced the name of his political party, Praja Rajayam, with much relish but it turns out that Mr Chenna Krishnaiah, an advocate of Kadapa, had filed an application with the Election Commission seeking the same name for his party three months ago. Chiranjeevi, however, exuded confidence that he would get the name and his crisis managers, Dr Mitra and Mr Allu Aravind, went into a huddle to sort out the issue. They also had a talk with the EC officials. The EC can use its discretion to decide on the issue and can even hold a hearing with both the applicants. Meanwhile, EC sources said the application submitted by Chiranjeevi for registration of Praja Rajyam was riddled with errors. Instead of the mandatory 100 signatories, it only has 88. Neither does it have photocopies of the electoral identity cards of the members.

Caste factor creeps into selection of venue

TIRUPATI: The temple town was carefully chosen as the launch pad of Chiranjeevi's party, keeping in mind the caste factor involved rather than the sentiment of Lord Venkateswara.

Unlike the Lord Venkateswara sentiment which film thespian and TDP founder N T Rama Rao espoused throughout his political career, Chiru chose the temple town also for the reason that Balijas (which is what Kapus are known in Rayalaseema) constitute a majority of the population in Tirupati. Nearly 62 per cent of Tirupati and about 70 per cent of Tirumala populace hail from this community . "Anything that is started at the foot of the Lord is said to be successful. Though this sentiment did weigh with Chiranjeevi, equally important is the large presence of Balijas here," an analyst said.