A thunderous reception was accorded to Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi on the first day of his three-day visit to conduct his roadshow in Krishna district. His roadshow evoked huge response from a large number of people, especially of Kapu community, which is predominant in Nagayalanka, Avanigadda, Machilipatnam and surrounding areas. The good show apparently unnerved other parties, particularly the ruling Congress in the Assembly segments falling in the delta region. The road show in Avanigadda constituency could, going by the indications, deal a blow to the winning chances of sitting MLA and Minister Mandali Buddha Prasad. The huge crowd that turned up for the roadshow largely consisted of Kapu community leaders and cadres, who were mostly with the Congress through the thick and thin till last elections. Some of those who were present at the roadshow in Avanigadda centre expressed their resolve to vote for the PRP this time. They sought to know whether the Minister had done anything for them in the past five years and said they were happy to find a choice in the form of the PRP. A senior citizen was elated to see the response to the roadshow, and he felt that such crowds were usually seen when Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy addressed meetings here. The situation will be no different in regard to the future of Machilipatnam MLA Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) of the Congress, said PRP leaders. They pointed out that Kapu leaders in the Congress would face a very embarrassing situation, as their community members would solidly vote for the PRP provoking a reaction from other communities supporting the Congress. Interestingly, TDP senior leader Ambati Brahmanaiah, who also belongs to Kapu community, could face a similar problem but on a lower scale in Avanigadda. Whatever little support he could gather previously from his Kapu community would not come this time in view of the presence of PRP in the fray.The PRP is said to be considering fielding Bade Babu Rao, a relative of Allu Aravind, from Avanigadda Assembly constituency. Until now, the name of Simhadri Chandrasekhar, a doctor by profession and son of former minister Simhadri Satyanarayana, figured at the top among the list of probables for this constituency. Party cadres said they would only look at Chiranjeevi’s face for voting, irrespective of the candidate.

In a surprise development, the Praja Rajyam led by actor Chiranjeevi withdrew a case it had filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a common symbol for its candidates for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Vedula Venkata Ramana, counsel for the petitioner, informed a Bench, comprising Justice B. Prakasha Rao and Justice Bhavani Prasad, on Tuesday that his client had asked not to press the writ petition.

The Praja Rajyam had challenged the constitutional validity of the rules stipulating that only those political parties, which had contested a general election and got six per cent of the votes polled and, in addition, won at least two Assembly seats, would be eligible for allotment of an exclusive common symbol in the next elections.

The Election Commission had rejected the PRP’s application seeking allotment of a common symbol for its candidates.

Following this, the party approached the High Court which sent the matter back to the EC asking to reconsider the issue.

As the Commission rejected the plea, the party filed the present writ petition.

Any party can get itself registered and its candidates be allotted a symbol from among the free symbols available.

The Praja Rajyam took birth from the urge for change in society. It makes me proud that people want me to be their servant in their quest for a better tomorrow. Andhra Pradesh is a rich state, but people are made poor. With our vast resources we should be in a land of prosperity. But, for the last six decades, only a thin layer of our society has prospered. Lack of political will and unbridled corruption made universal prosperity a very distant dream. Politics has degenerated. Rather than being a calling to serve our people, politics has become a vocation to plunder and loot the public. Democratic governments ought to be the trustees — dharmadhikaris — of the people, shepherding them on to the path of progress. Instead, our governments are destroying our present and squelching the hopes of our children. Corruption engulfs us in every manner. Even those whose daily survival is a struggle are not spared from its rapacious claws. This has to stop. At the top, the leaders have come to believe that it is their right to embezzle and extort; and that it is also right and proper for their kith, kin and crooked friends in the business communities to defraud us. The Congress and the Telugu Desam vied with each other in looting the public money. While the Telugu Desam government headed by Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu encouraged corruption in an organised manner, the government headed by Mr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy opened the floodgates for corruption. In the run-up to the polls, Mr Reddy and Mr Naidu are once again vying with each other to hoodwink people with false promises. For over 60 years we have been ruled by a few families belonging to a few communities; and they have, over and over, betrayed our trust. They can be stopped if the hitherto excluded segments come together — the SC, the ST, the OBC, the poor, the minorities, the disabled and women — to take power back to where it belongs: with the people. We need to infuse our politics with the moral urgency to serve our people. We cannot continue to remain as silent spectators. We can join hands and bring about the change that is needed. The Praja Rajyam is committed to this in true spirit.

Praja Rajyam Party president K. Chiranjeevi on Tuesday said their party was facing difficulties because of lack of a common election symbol so far, as this was expected to create confusion among the voters.

He, however, hoped to tide over the crisis with “divine blessings,” even as he blamed the rival parties for creating hurdles in the way of getting a common symbol.

‘Best alternative’

Kicking off his Praja Ankita Yatra, the roadshow, in Krishna district here, Mr. Chiranjeevi said that the PRP was the best alternative for the people at a time when they wanted to throw out the “corrupt” Congress and also reject the “not-so-clean” Telugu Desam Party.

He conducted roadshow at Avanigadda, Mopidevi, Challapalli and a few other places in the delta region.

Mr. Chiranjeevi cautioned the voters against getting “trapped by the election gimmicks and populist slogans” of the rival parties.

He said while the TDP opened windows for corruption during its regime, the present Congress Government unlocked all main doors for a flood of corruption. He appealed to the people to ponder over the need for clean governance for which the PRP would remain committed.

Dismissing election surveys as of no big relevance, Mr. Chiranjeevi said no surveys could really sense the depth of the hearts of voters in the context of their finding a strong choice like the PRP. “You have adored me for 30 years. I know we have a heart-to-heart warm relationship. This is creating a silent revolution, which no survey can discover,” he asserted.

Promise to youth

Mr. Chiranjeevi turned to a group of young fans and promised to address their demand for creation of jobs through DSC. He assured them of filling posts by conducting DSC recruitments in January next year, if voted to power, and every year thereafter.

Dedicating the PRP to the cause of uplifting women, Mr. Chiranjeevi said the party had already announced many schemes for the security and educational needs of girls. Cooking gas would be provided to households at Rs. 100 a refill, which would be in addition to the Rs. 100 grocery scheme already announced by the party.

Mr. Chiranjeevi said their party, once elected to power, would create all necessary infrastructure for the laying of a railway line between Machilipatnam and Repalle to provide better transport facilities for people living in this area. He said efforts would be made to persuade the Union Government to help in this.