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The pioneer of rath yatras

Every other political leader is taking out a rath yatra these days to gain public support. But none of them are able to match late Telugu Desam founder-leader N.T. Rama Rao who pioneered the concept. Politicians of the state preferred to address the public from the stage till then. But NTR adopted a new style and took to the roads, meeting people in their villages and towns.

His “Chaithanya Ratham” covered 72,000 kilometres in the state in a span of 35 days during the run up to the Assembly elections in 1983. Driven by his son Harikrishna (who is a Telugu Desam Rajya Sabha member now), NTR extensively toured the state with the song Maa Telugu Talliki Mallapudanda playing on loud speakers. And wherever he went, he attracted large crowds even if it was late in the night or early in the morning. And the speeches he delivered in his powerful voice really stirred the masses. The Chaithanya Ratham tour is still the role model for politicians.

NTR’s son in law and TD chief, Mr Chandrababu Naidu toured about 10,000 km in 115 days as part of his Meekosam rath yatra recently. Similarly, megastar Chiranjeevi is now on the first leg of his Praja Ankita yatra in the state in his specially designed chariot. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, too depends on yatras to shore up his image. His padayatra before the 2004 elections catapulted him to power and his official programmes such as Palle Baata and Nagara Baata were also in the same mode.

Praja Rajyam will fight for Telangana Bill if voted to power

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The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) will fight for introduction of bill on Telangana in Parliament if voted to power in the upcoming elections, party spokesperson Dr Mitra has said. The PRP treats Telangana as an issue of self-respect, he said. Dr Mitra toured in Khammam and Warangal districts Monday to survey the route for the party president’s ongoing yatra. Speaking to mediapersons, Mitra claimed that the PRP had made its stand on Telangana clear. ‘‘The Congress and the TDP have been trying to gain political mileage from Telangana issue,’’ he criticised. The Congress had formed an alliance with the TRS during last elections and later shelved the Telangana issue, he said and alleged that the Congress leaders were trying to cheat the voters by saying that decision on the issue will be taken by AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

Training guns on the TDP, he said the party which had advocated integrity of the State during last elections was speaking favourably regarding separate Telangana only for votes. ‘‘Both the parties lack commitment to Telangana,’’ he said.

Happy AP Formation Day

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52 years ago all the Telugu speaking people had a dream come true. A separate state was carved integrating the Telugu speaking areas of the then Nizam areas and also the Telugu speaking areas of the Madras presidency. Sacrifices were made to make Andhra state a reality.

The most prominent of these was the sacrifice of the Nellore based leader Potti Sriramulu. The linguistic states could be formed on the 1st of November 1956. Fifty two years down the line the Telugu speaking people find themselves divided. The issue of Telangana has been raging for sometime now. No one knows in which direction the winds will blow. May be this would be the last AP formation day when all of Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana would be celebrating together if separate Telangana materializes as all political parties are ‘for’ for it. Whatever the political implications here’s wishing the great state of Andhra Pradesh and its great people a very happy AP formation day.

Praja in Raptures as Chiranjeevi says He Won’t Mind Telangana

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Finally, he obliged the demand of the people of Telangana region and declared his party policy on the contentious statehood issue. Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi said that if the Central Government proposes separate Telangana, his party would not come in the way and also said that there was a need for every one to bring pressure on the Centre to adopt a resolution in favor of Telangana.

The actors announcement was greeted with loud applause from a massive gathering.

The crowd burst crackers and danced with joy.

Chiranjeevi started his second day of the Praja Ankita Yatra in Telangana region from Metpally this morning.

He travelled through Korutla and reached Jagityal town around 2 pm and at the bus stand circle he unveiled the policy on Telangana. Since morning the media was expecting the PRP president to announce the policy which he finally made at Jagityal.

Before announcing the policy Chiranjeevi lashed out at leaders who spoke on the need for separate State. He said that instead of taking the region on the road to development, politicians were trying to rouse passions with an intent to reap political gain.

He ridiculed the Congress for saying that the party would take a decision at an appropriate time. ‘‘When would that appropriate time come,’’ he questioned.

His party would bring pressure on the Centre to expedite the process, the PRP supremo stated. He criticised the leaders for not revealing the fact that Centre has the authority to create a separate State.

However, some local people said that Chiranjeevi has to be more clear on the Telangana issue.

Earlier in the day, Chiranjeevi addressed the agitating teachers at Metpally Tahsildar office. He said that if the students have to get good education teachers must be offered good facilities. Narrating the woes of teachers Chiranjeevi said that a teacher told him that because transfers had been put on hold, he and his wife were living in different areas.

Chiranjeevi described the demands of the teachers as genuine and need to be solved immediately.

Speaking at Korutla, he said that unless the weaker sections were represented in big number in the Assembly, their problems would not be solved. He said that the party has announced the first ticket to a tribal woman Muniamma who is working for the welfare of her community.

He urged the people to elect majority community people and his party was ready to send such leaders to the Assembly.

Addressing the problems of the minorities and beedi workers of the Korutla area, the PRP founder felt sorry that these sections were not getting justice and the minorities were being harassed.

Chiranjeevi Promises to Make Telangana Stand Clear Soon

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The second leg of Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi’s Praja Ankita Yatra started on Thursday, pulling massive crowds in Telangana district of Karimnagar though the mega star continued to remain as evasive as ever on the contentious Telangana issue.

The only promise the film actor made was that before he concluded his yatra in Telangana districts which will continue till November 7, he would make a categorical promise on the issue. He, however, said he honoured the sentiments of the people for separate Statehood.

The roadshows in all villages in Karimnagar district were well attended, which came as a relief to the managers of the actor who feared the turnout might not be all that impressive.

People in large numbers turned at his roadshows and listened to him attentively. They cheered him lustily whenever he spoke of the valour of Telangana people.

The film actor kick-started his yatra in the weavers’ town of Sircilla where he declared waiving of all loans availed by the weavers and clearing all piled up stock by paying Re 1 more per metre of cloth.

He also promised benefits like health and life insurance to weavers, appointment of a special officer, a training center to upgrade the skills of weavers, payment of Rs 2,500 as pension to the surviving family members of the weavers who committed suicides, education in the residential schools for the children, providing meal twice a day to the aged.

After reaching Vemulavada, he offered prayers to Lord Siva at Rajarajeswari temple and speaking at a whistlestop meeting, he promised steps to stop migrations of workers to other countries and announced that a special cell would be created for those who are working in the Gulf countries.

However his tour was marred by slogan-shouting by the cadres of Telangana Rashtra Samiti. At Sircilla, Vemulavada and Chandurti the TRS activists tried to corner him demanding a clear statement on Telangana. Chiranjeevi assured them that he knew the heart of the Telangana people and would do what they want.

While passing through Sircilla a hoarding set up by local leaders in which a child was requesting Chiranjeevi to provide free education to the children attracted the actor’s attention who later said he would definitely fulfil her wish. In another incident he called on a hundred-year-old woman to his vehicle and made her speak.

Chiranjeevi Videos Getting Huge Demand

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With each passing day, Megastar Chiranjeevi is getting more and more comfortable with his new role as a politician and one can see the body language from the time he announced his ‘Praja Rajyam Party’ and till date, the transformation he has been through.

Given the current political tsunami he has been creating, it is heard that most of his videos such as the songs, the best scenes of his hit movies and many other sequences have suddenly started getting a lot of viewership and the regular surfers of the famous youtube site say that the videos are being watched like crazy with the hits it shows.

He has now started his second leg of ‘Praja Ankita’ yatra and this time he would be covering only the Telangana region. With the kind of response he got during his first leg, the message is clear that he sure enjoys some reputation as far as getting a glimpse of him goes.

But the real truth will be out once the polls are announced and the voting is done and just like any other film, even Chiru’s fate will be in the hands of the same audience who will appear in the new role as voters to decide whether he is fit enough to be a real life star or just a reel life star.

Chiranjeevi Order to Party Members Goes on YouTube

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A secretly recorded video of Megastar Chiranjeevi giving directions to his party district coordinators to spy on leaders who have come in from other parties has embarrassed the Praja Rajyam to no end.
The video, which has been posted in popular website YouTube, was recorded with a spy camera by a leader who took part in the core committee meeting. It was also circulated to a section of the press. In the video, Chiranjeevi can be seen saying that many whom he considered close aides were passing on information to rivals.

“These days we can’t believe anybody however big they may be,” he says in the video grab. “After all we are all human beings and have so many desires. So I want you to spy on the movements of politicians in our party.” The Praja Rajyam is red-faced that a meeting which was held to chalk out plans to snoop on leaders was itself spied upon.

More so, since it has happened just two days after the party accused the government of tapping the cell phones of its leaders. The issue came out just days after this paper reported that party observers had been asked to spy on new entrants. Chiranjeevi’s directive has also given credence to criticism that Praja Rajyam istreating leaders who came in from the Congress and the Telugu Desam with derision and suspicion.

The core committee meeting was held in the context of a ‘classified file’ going missing from the Paraja Rajyam headquarters despite it being under constant surveillance by CCTV cameras. The party spokesperson, Mr P. Mitra, however defended the plans to spy on the activities of the party leaders. “There is nothing wrong in it,” he said. “We are keeping tabs on the politicians who came in from other parties only to keep the party corruption free.”

This newspaper had reported the other day that the party had appointed district coordinators to spy on the movements of leaders. The Praja Rajyam top brass is also afraid that politicians from other parties may now think twice before crossing over. Meanwhile, the second phase of Chiranjeevi’s Praja Ankita Yatra will begin from Siricilla in Karimnagar district on Thursday.

Sting on Chiranjeevi Praja Rajyam Creates Ripples in Andhra

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A sting operation showing actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi making some off-the-cuff remarks against politicians in a closed-door meeting set off ripples in his fledgling Praja Rajyam Party on Wednesday.

In a secretly filmed video, whose origin was not known, Chiranjeevi was seen telling a group of young IT professionals that they should be wary of politicians willing to join Praja Rajyam Party .

“The change we want to bring in the system will not be achieved if we open flood gates to politicians. They may be inevitable for the party in some places because of their experience but they don’t bring in freshness,” he told the gathering of his followers in his chambers in the highly-guarded party office here.

The nine-minute video was sent by unidentified persons to local TV channels which aired the footage and was also available on the internet.

Soon, the bloggers went cracking, posting a flurry of comments for and against the episode.

It is not clear who is behind the sting operation and what could be the purpose behind it.

The video showed Chiru in a relaxed mood, exchanging views with a group of his young fans on a wide range of issues including SEZs, political corruption and organisational matters.

Speaking to them informally, he virtually suggested to them to “spy” on the politicians desiring to join the party and wanted politicians to be kept out of the finer details of the new party.

The meeting was said to be aimed at discussing the strategies for building the party organisation.

“We need young people like you who are selfless, dedicated and committed to bring in change in the society. You are my inspiration. You should appear to be closely working with politicians but at the same time keep a tab on them,” Chiranjeevi, was seen telling the gathering.

Justifying Chiranjeevi‘s comments, senior party leader Ch Harirama Jogaiah, himself a veteran politician, said there was nothing wrong in cautioning against politicians who were out to play spoilsport.

Citing the instance of matinee idol and TDP founder president late N T Rama Rao being “ditched” by politicians close to him, Jogaiah, who recently quit Congress to join Praja Rajyam, said there was nothing disparaging about Chiranjeevi’s comments.

Chiranjeevi Mass Contact Program in Telangana

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Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi will kick off the second leg of his mass contact programme from the Telangana heartland tomorrow.

The eight-day political yatra would cover the three Telangana districts of Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam, party sources said.

Chiranjeevi would commence the road show from Siricilla in Karimnagar district, where scores of weavers ended their lives due to the crisis gripping the handlooms and powerlooms there.

The Praja Rajyam Party founder had earlier visited Siricilla to express solidarity with the weavers. The visit has put Congress government in a spot for its alleged failure to rescue the weavers.

During the tour, Chiranjeevi is also expected to spell out his party’s stand on the crucial issues of separate Telangana and Naxalism.

The Karimnagar and Warangal districts, hotbed of Telangana statehood movement, were also strongholds of Naxal activities once.

The actor had to cut short his first leg of tour in north coastal Andhra Pradesh by two days earlier this month due to sore throat.

While Chiranjeevi’s first leg of mass contact programme was a big hit, going by the huge crowd turnout, his impact in Telangana region will come under close scrutiny by major political players as it is expected to decide the contours electoral alliances for next year’s assembly polls.

Trivikram In Demand Heros and People

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Trivikram Srinivas has planned his next movie with Mahesh Babu. This would be the second time the ace director and the ace actor would be pairing.

The earlier venture Athadu was a super duper hit. All eyes are on this movie. The name of this movie is being circulated as ‘Varudu’ or Encounter’ in filmy circles. There is also talk that both these names do not suit Mahesh Babu’s status as a big hero. There is also talk of changing this name and coming up with a different name. In the meanwhile Trivikram is not sitting quite. He is reportedly being roped in by Sunil to write the dialogues for a film in which Sunil will act. Sunil has also decided to direct this film. Since Trivikram’s forte is writing strong dialogues he is much in demand both as a director and also as story director.