Sharad Yadav Calls on Chiranjeevi, Goud

In a significant development, Janata Dal (U) president Sharad Yadav called on Prajarajyam(PRP) chief Chiranjeevi at the latter’s office here today.

Both the leaders are understood to have discussed the current political situation.

Janata Dal (U) is an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, Sharad Yadav clarified that he did not meet Chiranjeevi as an emissary of the BJP. Complimenting Chiranjeevi for championing the cause of social justice, he said that was the reason why he had come to meet the star-turned-politician Earlier, Yadav met Nava Telangana Party (NTP) president T Devender Goud at the latter’s residence.

Goud claimed that they did not discuss the possibility of an electoral tie-up but added, ‘‘Yadav is working for social justice just as we are and both the parties will keep working together for the same cause.’’ Sharad Yadav also shook hands with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu at a private function but Naidu did not have a one-on-one with Yadav.

Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi told reporters that his party was open to ‘‘discuss’’ alliances with any party.

He confirmed that his party had held negotiations with the TRS but hastened to add that they were still keeping their options open for pre-poll alliances with like-minded parties, including the TRS. Chiranjeevi also anointed his younger brother Pawan Kalyan as the party’s youth wing, Yuva Rajyam, president.

Pawan Kalyan to Head PRP Yuva Rajyam

Power star Pawan Kalyan, brother of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) founder Chiranjeevi, is all set to head the youth wing of the party. According to sources, the youth wing of the PRP is likely to be named as Yuva Rajyam.

A decision to this effect had been made and a formal announcement was expected to be made on Sunday, the sources said.

Pawan Kalyan was selected for the youth wing presidentship as he had enormous populari t y among the youth, the sources added. ``He is an icon of the youth,’’ said a senior PRP leader, adding that Pawan’s role in the recent film `Jalsa’ had brought him an image akin to a Left wing thinker.

Hyderabad, Dec. 7: Proving the allegations of family fiefdom in Praja Rajyam correct, the PR chief Chiranjeevi appointed his younger brother Pavan Kalyan, 37, as the head of the party’s youth wing "Yuva Rajyam" on Sunday. Chiranjeevi described his brother as a person who is socially conscious. Mr Kalyan in turn praised the PR chief as a humanist. "Some are pointing fingers at me for giving importance to some of my family members in the party. However, I don’t agree with this sort of criticism. I appointed Pavan Kalyan not because he’s my brother, but only after considering his social consciousness. Kalyan always thinks about the needy and the downtrodden. As his brother, I closely observed his altruism. That is why I selected Kalyan for this post. He who also enjoys clout among the youth. In fact, he is also one among those who inspired me to launch this party," Chiranjeevi said. On the question of family rule in the Praja Rajyam, Chiranjeevi said: "Despite their relationship with me, Kalyan and Nagababu are popular with the public, which is why I encouraged them. And I never saw Allu Aravind as my brother-in-law. He is more than a friend to me.

Chiranjeevi Interacts with Lawyers

Chiranjeevi, a day after his Praja Ankita Yatra in Rayalaseema districts ended yesterday where he received an overwhelming welcome by his fans throughout, met a different set of fans today - lawyers from around the State at an interactive meeting here.

“I expected an intellectual crowd here but, but I found all of you very jovial which is exactly my style,” the Praja Rajyam Party president said. The meeting which was attended by more than 300 lawyers from across the State had a liberal mix of fans also among them making the crowd swell to more than a thousand.

Speaking on the occasion, former Union Minister and chairman of PRP’s Manifesto Committee and Legal Cell, Shiva Shankar, said that a team of 8 lawyers with one leading the unit would be formed in every district to assist the candidates to file their nominations besides educating the party cadre on various Acts.

Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi voiced concern over the rising atrocities on the weaker sections and appealed to the lawyer community to fight legally on their behalf.

Chiranjeevi Praja Rajyam Weighs Its Options on Alliances

With the left parties almost inking their pact with the Telugu Desam Party, the core committee of Praja Rajyam is busy weighing its option in choosing its ally in the run up to the next elections a few months away.

On record though, spokesman Parakala Prabhakar reiterated that given the ‘stupendous’ response from the people to party president K. Chiranjeevi’s ‘Praja Ankita Yatra’, they were in favour of going to the hustings alone.

‘Too early’

When asked about national-level leaders meeting Mr. Chiranjeevi or party general secretary Allu Aravind, he said it was too early for anyone to forge alliances.

“When senior leaders of other political leaders come here and convey their wish to meet our president and other seniors, courtesy demands that we meet. And when they come up with expressions of interest about political alliances, we cannot reject them outright,” he said, in response to a question referring to Mr. Aravind meeting CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan when the latter was in the city on Saturday. Meanwhile, the CPI State secretary K. Narayana still does not rule out the possibility of an alliance with them. While talk about Praja Rajyam shaking hands with Telangana Rashtra Samiti still hangs in balance, it is reliably understood that Nava Telangana Party president T. Devender Goud is close to clinching a possible electoral alliance.

Chiranjeevi PRP State, District-Level Panels in a Week

The Praja Rajyam party went ahead a notch in having its organisational set-up in place with general secretary Allu Aravind announcing that in a week’s time they would constitute State and district-level committees.

He said this while addressing a convention of the Backward Classes from East and West Godavari and Krishna districts here on Friday. He said that it was only after the entry of the PR party into the political arena that political parties appeared to be waking up from slumber.

Without taking any names, he said a political party had done nothing in its four and a half years of rule and was now talking of 33 per cent reservation of tickets for BCs in the next elections. Another party he said, was talking of allocating 200 of the 294 seats in the Assembly for BCs. The term ‘social justice’ appeared to be getting re-defined with every political party chanting the ‘social justice mantra’ and went on to add that they were even beginning to remember Mahatma Jyotirao Phule only after the Praja Rajyam showcased its respect for him.

Party’s spokesperson Katti Padma Rao said only the Praja Rajyam would be able to achieve justice on the political and social fronts. After the elections in 2009, it would be really be ‘Praja Rajyam’ (people’s rule) and ‘Mana Rajyam’ (our rule), he declared.

Party leaders V.G.R. Naragoni and Tammineni Seetaram also spoke.