Chiranjeevi Quits Assembly Seat for United Andhra

A week after Centre’s decision to create separate Telangana state, Prja Rajyam Party (PRP) chief Chiranjeevi has announced his resignation from Andhra assembly. Earlier, his party had supported creation of separate Telangana.

PRP, which has a strength of 18 MLAs, has most of its legislatures from non-Telangana region.

Chiranjeevi, who did a U-turn on his earlier stand, has now announced the decision in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh. However, he was threatened with a split within the PRP.

“In deference to the wishes of the people, the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) will henceforth stand for a united Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

“We shall bring the required pressure on powers that be to ensure that the stays united,” the actor-turned-politician announced at a crowded press conference at the party headquarters here.

“After long discussions in the party we have decided for united Andhra Pradeshy because only a united AP can solve the problem of backwardness,” he said.

Chiranjeevi, who was elected from Tirupati in Rayalaseema area, signed his resignation letter before the media and said that it would be immediately sent to the Speaker Kiran Kumar Reddy.

“I am taking moral responsibility for the change in our party’s stand for a united state and putting in my papers,” he said.

Sixteen PRP MLAs belonging to the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions had tendered their resignations last week in support of a united Andhra.

However, there are reports that Telangana district leaders of PRP are up in arms and those belonging to the Warangal and Karimnagar have already quit.

Meanwhile, the students of Osmania University and Kakatiya University have declared that they would boycott the movies featuring Chiranjeevi and his family, if his party talks of a united Andhra Pradesh.