The twist in the T drama

DESARAJU SURYA

Hyderabad: There was a rather unexpected change in the script of the resignation drama by Telangana legislators today.

The drama was enacted yesterday as per the script, written and directed by separatist leader K Chandrasekhar Rao, but the play began drifting since midnight when he himself was forced to jump into the act.

Though not in the original script, the second part too had to be played out today with new players coming in.

After the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party MLAs tendered resignations from their posts yesterday, Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao himself decided to jump into the battlefield and promptly faxed his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker in the middle of the night.

By day break, his fellow MP Vijayasanthi too followed suit while state Minister P Shankar Rao, who was on a trip to the US, also faxed his resignation to the Assembly Deputy Speaker.

The entire act was supposed to cause tremors in New Delhi so that it breaks the ground for Telangana. But, the impact turned out to be low in intensity.

With clear indications emanating from New Delhi that the Government of India was in no mood to concede the demand for a separate state anytime now, jittery TRS legislators too started making their moves towards resignation.

Around the same time, the Communist Party of India MLAs too mulled over the resignations while the Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs got the go ahead from their national leadership to quit.

In quick succession, the TRS and the CPI MLAs took their turns in submitting their resignations to the Legislature Secretary in the absence of House Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

The head count rose to 98 with all these legislators, including 12 ministers, putting in their papers demanding nothing but a separate Telangana state.

The two BJP MLAs completed the formality late in the evening and took the count to an exact 100, out of the total 119 from the region.

While 10 of the 19 left out belonged to the Congress, seven were from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and one each from the CPM and the Lok Satta Party. The MIM, CPM and Lok Satta, incidentally, are known supporters of a unified Andhra Pradesh.

As the drama continues, one question that crosses the mind is: "What would be the climax?"

Now, whether the drama ends in a climax -- as the script-writer wished -- or in an anti-climax is the "suspense" element in this sordid tale.

CHIRANJEEVI BIDS ADIEU TO FILMS

DESARAJU SURYA

Hyderabad: Telugu Megastar Chiranjeevi has called it quits as an actor.

The announcement came from the Megastar himself here tonight at a time when millions of his fans have been awaiting his 150^th movie venture, supposed to be produced by his actor-son Ram Charan Tej.

“Since I am busy with politics, it would not be appropriate for me to don the grease paint again. My son Charan is there to fill the gap,” Chiranjeevi replied when a spectator wanted to know about the proposed 150^th film, at the launch of UTV’s Action Telugu movie channel here tonight.

Replying to a question on whether he would don the role of a politician or Chief Minister in his future film, Chiranjeevi quipped: “Why in cinema? People are feel I can become the Chief Minister in real life itself.”

The actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi claimed that people of Andhra Pradesh were longing to see him as state Chief Minister in real life rather than in reel life.
Chiranjeevi announced in December last that he would don the grease paint once again for his 150th film to be produced by his actor-son Ram Charan Tej.
But that project did not take off because of the political developments in the state as well as his Praja Rajyam Party's merger move with the Congress.
Chiranjeevi's announcement today assumes significance as there are indications that he may be inducted either into the state Cabinet or even the Union Cabinet in the next round of reshuffle.

Chiranjeevi, a self-made star in Telugu cinema, quit films after a 30-year career in August 2008 to float the Praja Rajyam Party. While announcing the launch of his party, Chiranjeevi indicated that he would continue to act in films – “my first love” – even after turning a politician but would play only message-oriented roles in tune with his new stature.

Chiranjeevi, however, became a ‘flop star’ as his party was trounced in the 2009 general elections, thereby dashing his hopes of becoming the state Chief Minister.

With a 17 per cent vote share and 18 MLAs, the PRP, however, could become the third largest group in the AP Assembly.

In February this year, Chiranjeevi suddenly decided to merge his PRP with the ruling Congress and, since then, had been busy completing the formalities.

PRAJA RAJYAM: THE END

DESARAJU SURYA

Hyderabad: Praja Rajyam Party is no more. The PRP’s end has come today with the Election Commission of India formally approving its merger with the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh.

The 34-month-old party’s merger with the 125-year-old party was on cards since February this year but technical formalities delayed the process so far.

The 17 PRP MLAs would now add solidity to the Congress government in AP that had been surviving on a wafer-thin majority over the last two years.

Telugu Mega Star Konidela Chiranjeevi launched the Praja Rajyam Party in the temple-town Tirupati on August 26, 2008 with “social justice” as its theme and the promise of ushering in a “change” in the political scene in the state as well as the lives of people.

“I shall usher in the change that people of Andhra Pradesh have been longing for and turn the state into ‘Santoshaandhra Pradesh’ (the state of happiness),” Chiranjeevi vowed while inaugurating Praja Rajyam Party.

The party, however, received a drubbing at the hustings in 2009, having won only 18 out of 294 seats in the AP Assembly, though it polled 70 lakh votes across the regions.

The party has been left in virtual disarray as one senior leader after the other walked out following the electoral debacle.

It was also reduced into a non-entity in the Telangana region after Chiranjeevi changed his stance in favour of unified Andhra Pradesh after supporting “social Telangana” earlier.

This caused a small rebellion in the party with its two MLAs from Telangana falling away with Chiranjeevi. On the other hand, two MLAs from Kurnool district of Rayalaseema started sailing with rebel leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy much to the discomfiture of Chiranjeevi.

Chiranjeevi’s announcement of a merger of PRP with Congress came as a blessing in disguise with the two Telangana legislators returning to its fold. One of the two rebel MLAs from Rayalaseema too buried the hatchet with Chiranjeevi after the PRP initiated disqualification proceedings.

Now, only Sobha Nagi Reddy is continuing in the Jagan camp even as the disqualification procedure against her is on.

There has been speculation for sometime now that the PRP would be accommodated in the state Cabinet following the merger move. It appears certain but the number of slots the PRP would get is still unclear.

Announcing the PRP’s merger with the Congress in February, Chiranjeevi had said he would strive hard to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

“I shall not forget my responsibilities just because I have merged the party with Congress. I am committed to the principle of social justice and my fight against corruption will continue forever. I will always take the lead in supporting the aspirations of the poor and the needy," he had said then.

Chiranjeevi was a self-made star – one who rose to become the Megastar of Telugu films in a career that spanned 30 years. He was a dancing and fighting sensation, a trend-setter in Telugu tinsel town.

He faced many defeats in his three-decade old career in the film industry but he always bounced back to firm up his position on the top.

Politics was a totally different script for him and he was a “reluctant politician” who was allegedly “forced” into the hotbed of politics in politically-conscious Andhra Pradesh.

It was rather a tame and unexpected end for his party, though politically not for him yet.

The Congress' blues in AP

DESARAJU SURYA

Hyderabad: The blues of 1980s and 1990s seem to be returning to haunt the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh.

Dissidence, that has been the hallmark of the Congress, is raising its head once again in the state party even as its central leadership remains nonchalant.

The party has been largely in disarray for over 21 months now – after the death of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy to be precise – but the so-called high command failed to steer it out of the muddle.

So much so that the Congress government is not even in a position to celebrate its anniversary, due on May 20, this year.

Majority of the state ministers and legislators are gunning for the head of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who failed to prove his leadership even six months after getting into the saddle.

While the Telangana statehood issue has become another headache for the Congress, the biggest threat looms in the form of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy who is eating into the party’s base particularly in the Andhra-Rayalaseema regions.

The Congress is, however, unable to contend with any of these factors despite the damage being done to the party across the state.

The party’s indecisiveness on the Telangana issue needs no special mention while it has developed cold feet in cracking the whip on legislators and leaders openly sailing with Jagan even after he launched the YSR Congress party.

Also, the “lack of co-ordination” between the government and the party in the state has become a point of intense debate in Congress circles here.

Kiran Kumar Reddy, who heads the government, and D Srinivas, who leads the party, are said to be not on good terms, thereby pushing the cadres into chaos, Congress sources admit.

“The current situation is reminiscent of the scene in 1982 when the Telugu Desam took birth as a powerful regional party that eventually marginalised the Congress. Now, the YSR Congress is born and poses a similar threat,” a veteran PCC leader observed.

There is disillusionment in the Congress rank and file that the high command has not been caring to set the house in order in general and keep Jagan under check in particular.

In fact, this was the message that most of the senior leaders conveyed to AICC general secretary, in charge of AP affairs, Ghulam Nabi Azad during his two-day visit to the state.

But, they reportedly failed to get any assurance from Azad except that there would not be any change of guard despite the demand for replacement of Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Rebel trouble for Nallari Kiran

DESARAJU SURYA

Hyderabad: Ministers, MLAs and MLCs raised a virtual rebellion against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, protesting his unilateral style of functioning.

They lodged strong complaints against the Chief Minister to All India Congress Committee general secretary, in charge of AP affairs, Ghulam Nabi Azad during their interaction with the latter here in the last two days.

Azad was here to take stock of the party affairs in the state in the aftermath of the Congress’ humiliating defeat in the Kadapa and Pulivendula by-elections.

Almost all the ministers who had one-on-one interaction with the Union Minister, as well as legislators who met him individually and in groups, were highly critical of Kiran Kumar Reddy’s style of functioning which they said was only ruining the party.

“We made our displeasure against the Chief Minister known to our party in charge. We told Azad that Kiran was never taking anyone into confidence,” a senior minister said after another round of discussions with the AICC general secretary in the state Congress headquarters Gandhi Bhavan.

The hate campaign against Kiran Kumar was initiated by MLAs from his native Chittoor district. Former minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, former deputy speaker G Kutuhalamma and a couple of other legislators from Chittoor submitted a petition against Kiran to Azad.

They poured out their grouse against the Chief Minister and went to the extent of saying he was a "misfit" for the post.

Some ministers then took their turn and vent their “anguish” over the state of affairs in the government.

“By nature Kiran is a loner and hence doesn’t consult his colleagues on any issue. Besides, he has a ‘I-know-everything’ attitude that is making matters worse,” one senior minister reportedly complained.

Moreover, Kiran was a “poor strategist” and it became evident during the Kadapa by-election, he pointed out.

At a time when YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy was going all out in his attack against the government and when other opposition parties too were upping their ante on a wide range of issues, there was need for concerted action on part of the government and the party to get closer to people through a series of programmes. “Unfortunately, nothing of that sort is happening as a general impression gained ground that the administration in the state has become totally paralysed,” a couple of ministers reportedly told Azad.