Chiru’s Krishna district tour Day3: Essentials-for-Rs 100 will be PRP Govt’s first file

Praja Rajyam chief K. Chiranjeevi wields a stethoscope presented to him by doctors and checks himself to tell people that he is hale and healthy at Gudivada in Krishna district on the final day of his roadshows on Thursday

GUDIVADA (Krishna district): Hitting out at the Congress Government at the several meetings he addressed in Gudivada constituency on Thursday, the third and final day of the first phase of roadshows in Krishna district, Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi alleged that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was “sending suitcases filled with currency” to his party leadership in New Delhi to win a pat from them.

The day’s roadshows began at Ballapadu village and passed through Kalingapeta, Nandiwada, Gudivada and Gudlavalleru.

At the meetings as well as the press conference he addressed earlier, Mr. Chiranjeevi sought to draw a parallel between TDP founder N. T. Rama Rao, who represented the constituency in the Assembly, and himself. He, however, evaded a direct reply when asked whether he would fill up the gap created by NTR’s demise. Mr. Chiranjeevi merely said that it was a coincidence that the ideology of NTR and his own was one and the same. “Gudivada gave a new dimension to politics in the State, let’s repeat the history,” he said. Raavi Venkateswara Rao, the party candidate from the constituency, accompanied him throughout.

Though there was poor response to the meetings he addressed in the interior areas of Gudivada constituency, the crowds swelled as he reached the town, where a massive gathering waited for him.

Even while criticising the government’s programmes and the alleged corruption in execution of Jalayagnam, Mr. Chiranjeevi reiterated his party’s promises to farmers, middle class, students and women.

He asserted that thousands of crores of rupees had been spent on irrigation projects but without a vision. There were many districts and places in the State, including Gudivada, that had scarcity of drinking water. “You are surrounded by water, but the government has failed to quench your thirst. What’s the use of Jalayagnam?” he questioned.

Mr. Chiranjeevi also blamed the Rajasekhara Reddy Government for not being to utilise natural resources available in the State. While the Gujarat government was reaping the benefits of natural gas available here, the State government remained a mute spectator. The Praja Rajyam would seriously look into this and supply cooking gas at just Rs.100 a refill.

The matinee idol-turned-politician hit out at the government on the issue of price rise and “failure to ensure minimum support price of Rs.1,000 a quintal to paddy”.

Reacting to the criticism that the Praja Rajyam would wind up welfare schemes if voted to power, Mr. Chiranjeevi asserted that welfare schemes would be continued more energetically until there were no hunger deaths. But corruption in welfare schemes would be checked and loopholes plugged to better the lives of the poor and the downtrodden.

Chiru’s Krishna district tour Day2: 14year ‘vanavas’ will come to an end with PRP Win

Mega Star Chiranjeevi in a Road Show at Krishna District

PEDANA (Krishna district): There was overwhelming response to Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president K. Chiranjeevi’s roadshow in this Kapu belt of Krishna district on the second day on Wednesday. His convoy was stopped in almost every village on the Pedana-Bantumilli road, severely disrupting the schedule.

The PRP chief had to abruptly end his campaign in Machilipatnam at 10 p.m. on Tuesday and go straight to Bantumilli without covering Pedana for a night halt.

After speaking to the huge gathering at Koneru centre in the district headquarters for just five minutes, he promised to come back to the port town again.

In the morning, the schedule was changed to cover Pedana that was missed out on Tuesday. A huge gathering waited for several hours to listen to him in Challapalli before he went to Machilipatnam.

Romancing the people who came to listen to him, Mr. Chiranjeevi said his affair with them was over three decades old. The matinee idol-turned-politician said that the “love and affection” the people were showering on him was enough for him to work without expectations for the betterment of the people for the rest of his life. Without asking the people to vote for him even once, Mr. Chiranjeevi kept repeating that the love they showered on him for the last three decades and now was “enough.” He said the affection they were showering on him would turn into a rain of votes and later it would become a cyclone that would engulf the entire State.

He said the 14-year-long ‘vanavas’ – the nine-year-rule of the Telugu Desam Party and the five-year-rule of the Congress – would come to an end with the coronation of the PRP in the next elections.

Addressing a meeting held in front of the bus stand in Pedana, the little town with a predominance of weavers, Mr. Chiranjeevi said his heart went out to the weavers who were being totally neglected. The State Government was coming up with schemes and benefits for the weavers more out of fear of not getting their vote, but the PRP would work to bring about a qualitative change in their lifestyle. The PRP would not act out of fear but out of love for weavers because mankind would still be primitive wearing animal skins without them.

Accepting a harness used by toddy tappers to climb the Palmyra trees, which was presented to him by an admirer, Mr. Chiranjeevi said his brother Pavan Kalyan was labelled a drunkard for accepting a small amount of toddy that was a traditional drink in the Nizam’s area. He said the lives of toddy tappers were also neglected. The Praja Rajyam would remove toddy from the purview of the Excise Department and treat it separately, he said.

Delta modernisation

The PRP chief said that the PRP, if voted to power, would complete delta modernisation works that could not be taken up by the Congress Government and fight for a share in the natural gas resources of the Krishna-Godavari Basin for development of this area.

PRP cadre in upbeat mood at Vijayawada

VIJAYAWADA: Urban leaders and activists of the Praja Rajyam Party are full of enthusiasm and energy ahead of their party president Chiranjeevi’s road shows that begin in the district from Avanigadda on Monday.

On the first day, the party is expecting a huge response from party activists and fans of Chiranjeevi from almost all corners of the district. A large number of youth from the city are expected to attend the road shows on the opening day.

The city leaders are also going in large numbers to welcome their leader and make the road shows a huge success. After two days of intense electioneering in Avanigadda, Machilipatnam and Gudivada areas, Chiranjeevi will enter the city on March 18. He will cover major parts of the city.

PRP urban convener Boppana Bhava Kumar says there is tremendous response from party cadres and also general public. He is confident that Chiranjeevi’s visit will bring about a new change in the overall mood of the electorate and boost the winning chances of the party in the elections.

The major challenge before the PRP leaders is to take advantage of the enthusiasm among the grassroot workers and cadres of the party. A leader said on Saturday that there was undoubtedly a large following for Chiranjeevi among voters, but the question was how best the leadership was prepared to transform this into votes on the polling day.

There would be no apparent mobilisation of people for Chiranjeevi’s road shows , the party leaders said.

Significantly, Chiranjeevi is beginning his road shows in the Krishna delta areas, where the party has almost decided on the candidates for various Assembly constituencies.

Bandar/Machilipatnam: PRP Ticket likely for Buragadda Vedavyas

VIJAYAWADA: Former MLA Buragadda Vedavyas is likely to contest from the Bandar Assembly constituency on the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) ticket in the ensuing election.

His name is almost finalised, and the party may announce this in the first list of candidates to be announced in a few days from now.

Several local PRP leaders, who are aspirants for the ticket, are reportedly bent upon lobbying hard to prevent Mr. Vedavyas’s candidature.

Sources say that Mr. Vedavyas is in the core committee of the party leadership and it will not be possible for the existing leaders in Bandar to mar his chances.

Kamineni Srinivas Rao’s name is also almost confirmed for the PRP ticket from Kaikaluru Assembly segment. He has been active in the party affairs right from the beginning, and his association with Chiranjeevi is well-known in the party circles.

The PRP leadership is said to be satisfied with the potential candidature of Simhadri Chandrasekhar for contesting from Avanigadda constituency.

He is son of former minister Simhadri Satyanarayana. Dr. Chandrasekhar is a cardiac specialist practising in the State Capital.

Dalit votes

Meanwhile, dalit leader Katti Padma Rao’s name is doing the rounds for the Gannavaram Assembly constituency. Party circles are surprised at this sudden development, but the leadership is said to be setting its sights on the SC votes in the constituency for improving winning chances of its candidate.

If Mr. Padma Rao attracts dalit votes to a considerable extent, it will damage the prospects of the Congress nominee. Kapu votes, together with SC votes, may help the PRP nominee to get the winning edge in the elections.

Several aspirants belonging to Kapu and Kamma communities have already stopped pursuing their case in the face of changed scenario in Gannavaram PRP affairs.

The party leadership has assured to accommodate them in nominated posts and other positions if they strive hard to ensure victory for the party in the elections.

Chiranjeevi roadshow in Krishna likely in 10 days

February 4th 2009 – VIJAYAWADA: Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi’s road show in Krishna district is expected to take place in 10 to 15 days from now. He will start his tour at Nagayalanka near Machilipatnam and conclude here after touching Avanigadda and scores of towns on National Highway-9 popularly known as Bandar Road.

Announcing this at a press conference here, PRP district spokespersons Yanamala Murali Krishna, Muthamsetti Rajendra Prasad and Tatineni Sriram said their president’s road show would bring a new lease of life to the party cadres in the entire district. They asserted that a wave of support from all segments of people would generate in the coming days.

The PRP leaders said that the controversy arising out of Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) would not have any impact on the PRP prospects. They took strong objection to Nani’s statement that without him, there was no Praja Rajyam Party in Krishna district. They pointed out that it was Chiranjeevi’s charisma that was the big asset for the PRP rather than any other leaders like Nani.

After the exit of Nani, the PRP is in a hunt for an equally or more capable leader to head the party urban unit as convener.