For merging with Congress, Chiru to get 2 cabinet berths

NEW DELHI: Chiranjeevi’s entry in Congress is likely to jolt intra-party equations, with OBC and dalit leaders welcoming the mega actor as a respite from Reddy dominance and the Telangana unit calling him a prize catch by ignoring his anti-statehood stand.

Congress is likely to give two cabinet berths to Praja Rajyam Party ( PRP) in Andhra Pradesh government in the next reshuffle. As Chiru dropped in at key Congress addresses in the capital on Monday , chairman of OBC parliamentary forum Hanumantha Rao said, “Chiranjeevi said he has joined Congress to fight for social justice. He got 18% votes in 2009. He will bring credibility to party’s claim of justice.”

The comment found resonance across the party as OBC and SC leaders felt Chiru’s profile and political plank would lend them greater weightage in decision-making and correct Reddys’ dominance. OBCs count for around 50% in the state and have chaffed at the hold of numerically weaker upper castes.

Of as much significance was the reaction from the Telangana bloc which welcomed the star despite his stand against the division of Andhra Pradesh.

Madhu Yaskhi, OBC MP from Nizamabad, said, “On Tissue , Chiru is no different from Congressmen from Coastal or Rayalaseema. But his maximum revenue collections from movies come from Telangana and he will be guarded in his reactions,
unlike those who threaten to quit and revolt.”

Yaskhi said he held a meeting to push for PRP’s merger ahead of the Greater Hyderabad local polls. “The PRP candidate got one lakh votes in the LS polls in my constituency in Telangana. It was the youth and OBCs. Obviously, he will strengthen Congress way beyond Coastal.”

Harsha Kumar, SC MP from Amlapuram, said Chiru’s entry will bring about an alliance of dominant dalit and Kapu voters in East Godavari district and put the issue beyond rivals. “Congress will gain in 19 assembly and three LS seats in my district alone,” he said.

Sources said the open-arm welcome from SCs-OBCs to PRP stems from the hope that Chiru’s entry will redraw the clout of social groups within Congress. Jagan’s exit has given them optimism in the absence of a leader like YSR.
A senior MP said the fresh development will give space to other castes too even as Reddys continue to call the shots in the party.