Praja Rajyam MLAs Suggest Chiranjeevi to Merge Party with Cong
In just over a year of its formation, Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) has plunged into an existential crisis as a sections of its MLAs suggest merger of the party with the ruling Congress party.
In just three months after their election to state legislature, five of the 18 PRP MLAs want Chiranjeevi to merge the party with the Congress.
According to reports, the group of legislators discussed the proposal with Chiranjeev’s brother-in-law and party general secretary Allu Aravind on Wednesday night. The meeting lasted till early hours of Thursday with Aravind reportedly asking a month’s time to respond to their proposal.
Chiranjeevi, who had launched the PRP amid much fanfare in August last year, went into a huddle with party legislators Thursday morning.
However, PRP leaders maintain that few MLAs may want to joint the Congress or the main opposition TDP, but the PRP would continue to exist under the leadership of Chiranjeevi.
“There is no truth in the report. One or two MLAs may want to join the Congress or the TDP, but the party is not depending on them,” said PRP spokesperson Vasireddy Padma. She termed the speculation a conspiracy against the party.
“PRP is here to stay under the leadership of Chiranjeevi. He is determined to strengthen the party from the grassroots level on the slogan of social justice,” legislator K Kanna Babu was quoted as saying by IANS.
“Our leader has already made it clear that those who want to leave the party may do so but the party is here to stay,” said Kanna Babu, also a close aide of the actor.
He said that despite party’s setback in assembly polls in which it won just 18 out 294-member assembly and complete blank in the Lok Sabha elections, it polled 17% or seven million votes.
It should be noted that Chiranjeevi had told reporters only a day ago that all legislators were with him.
“Vested interests are working overtime to ensure that the party disintegrates at the earliest to prevent it from asserting itself as a strong opposition party,” he said.
