The Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi is clueless as to how to go about in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections to be held immediately and the local body elections in the next few months.
The party does not have any organisational structure even now and it is difficult to build one in a very short time. So, some leaders like Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao and Tammineni Sitaram have suggested to Chiranjeevi to have an understanding with the Telugu Desam and the Communists in the coming days, so that a stronger opposition can put up a strong fight against the Congress. “Barring TRS, we are prepared to have alliance with all the three partners of the Mahakootami, including the TDP,” Kotagiri told media persons on Friday.
In fact, the idea has come from the TDP itself. Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, who tried to lure all his erstwhile party friends who joined the PRP back into the TDP, suggested that it would be in the best interests of both the TDP as well as the PRP to join hands, if the Congress has to be defeated. Those who have not come from the TDP are not accepting the idea. If such an alliance takes place, they might even prefer to join the Congress, sources say. As of now, Chiranjeevi has no answer!
The Praja Rajyam chief, Mr K. Chiranjeevi, on Wednesday, appealed to the state government to give top priority to provide safe drinking water. Participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address, Mr Chiranjeevi lamented the inability of the governments to provide water despite technological advancements. Acute drinking water crisis was forcing women to walk several miles even in districts like East and West Godavari. The Governor’s address is a dream but turns a nightmare on facing reality, he added.
Mr Chiranjeevi also said he would not mind Congress remaining in power forever as long as it catered to the needs of poor. The PR chief questioned the government on cancelling the ration cards terming them bogus after claiming credit for issuing record number of ration cards. Mr Chiranjeevi said the belt shops should be phased out.
While appreciating the Chief Minister for appointing Ms Sabita Indira Reddy as the home minister, he said a woman should be posted as excise minister to counter the damage caused by liquor in family life.
Praja Rajyam Party chief K Chiranjeevi said on Wednesday that people in Andhra Pradesh were crying for even basic needs like drinking water, while the Congress Government was making tall claims about its achievements.
“What is the use of achieving a nine per cent growth rate when people are left with parched throats? Be it the tribal areas in Adilabad district or the fertile Godavari districts, or fluoride-affected Nalgonda, lakhs of people still do not have access to safe drinking water,” Chiranjeevi said in his maiden address in the state Assembly.
The Telugu megastar, a first-time MLA, vented his anguish rather than anger over what he said sorry state of affairs and pathetic living conditions, during discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address.
In his 45-minute speech, Chiranjeevi mocked at the government’s claim of registering an annual six per cent growth in the agriculture sector.
“If that is true, why have 7,500 farmers committed suicide in the last five years. Even today, farmers are suffering as they are unable to get even the minimum support price on their produce,” the PRP leader said.
Government schools were being shut down on the pretext of low enrolment, he said. “We have to explore the reasons for poor enrolment. Children are unable to get access to good education and are ending up as child labour.”
Stating that irrigation projects were required for the development of the state, Chiranjeevi said government should prioritise the schemes instead of taking up all in one go.
As per the current estimates, a staggering Rs two lakh crore will be required to complete the 81 irrigation projects taken up by the government. Where will the money come from and how many decades will it take to complete them? asked Chiranjeevi.
The actor-turned-politician said the government could create an additional “ayacut” of only 19 lakh acres in the past five years despite the promise of creating an extra irrigation potential of one crore acres.
The area served by an irrigation project such as a canal, dam or tank is called ayacut. There was no industrial development worth the name in Andhra Pradesh in the last five years even as neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu made rapid strides, he said.
“We have got many special economic zones sanctioned but not a single major industry has come up in the state so far. The SEZs are in fact turning into realty zones.”
On Telangana, Chiranjeevi said, “Commitment is important, not the number of committees you have constituted on the issue.”
Summing up, the PRP chief promised full support to good programmes initiated by the government. “We don’t mind sitting in the Opposition if you do good to the people and the state. Otherwise, people will show you your place.”
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HYDERABAD: In a speech more appropriate for light, sound and action, Prajarajyam president Chiranjeevi said the Congress can rule the state for as long as it wants, provided it looks after the welfare of the people.
Speaking on the motion of thanks to the governor’s address, Chiranjeevi said the PRP is with the Congress as long as it ensures the welfare of the people by coming out with sound policies. “You can rule as long as you want. Happy. Claps, claps. But the day you ignore their welfare, we will take over,” he said in his maiden speech in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Chiranjeevi demanded that the state government address itself to drinking water problem, particularly in Adilabad and Nalgonda districts where the people were suffering from fluoride. “Though only Rs 150 crore is enough to solve the problem, the policy makers failed to take any action,” he said.
Quoting statistics, Chiranjeevi said if the agriculture sector was in good shape and if the growth rate was six per cent as claimed by the government, why 7,500 farmers committed suicide. Taking a dig at the nine-hour free power for the agriculture sector, he said what they need is at least 5 hours of uninterrupted power supply.
The Praja Rajyam chief, Mr K. Chiranjeevi, has given ample indications in the last two days that he was game for the Congress strategy to use him as a foil to weaken the Telugu Desam.
Surprising even his partymen, he announced on Friday that the PR would not contest from Tekkali if the Congress fielded a family member of Mr Revathipathi who died before taking oath. He also announced support for the Women’s Reservation Bill to be piloted by the Congress.
Though Mr Chiranjeevi told mediapersons that the decision not to field a candidate in Tekkali was taken on humanitarian grounds, most people read more into it.
“Though it is a good gesture it would have been politically prudent for us to wait for the Congress to make the first move and then announce it,” said a Praja Rajyam MLA.
Party leaders feel that Mr Chiranjeevi’s attempt to make a positive impression might give people the feeling that PR was sailing with the Congress. The Congress is delighted by the megastar’s gesture since it will make it difficult for the TD to field its candidate. Top advisers of the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, have already drawn up a strategy to counter the TD chief through Mr Chiranjeevi.
This was evident from the way the ruling party members kept thumping benches when the PR chief indirectly attacked the TD during his maiden speech in the House. Mr Chiranjeevi had found fault with Mr Naidu’s stand on the Speaker election and this was appreciated by the treasury benches.
“He should cut into the TD base more than what he did in the recent elections for us to be comfortable in the coming local body polls,” said a senior minister.
The ruling party is also trying to taunt the TD by giving more time to Mr Chiranjeevi to speak.
