Allu for Right, Chiru leans Left

Hyderabad, Nov. 10: Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi’s producer brother-in-law Mr Allu Aravind is reportedly stepping up pressure on the former for a pre-poll pact with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the ensuing elections despite the film star’s craving to join hands with the Left parties. This development assumed significance in the face of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate, Mr L.K.Advani’s visit to the state to launch his Vijay Sankalp Yatra on November 13. Though the Praja Rajyam chief is averse to align with the BJP, a section of leaders in the party, including Allu Aravind, are reportedly exerting pressure on Chiranjeevi for pre-poll pact with the saffron party, which can influence the voting pattern in the triangular contest in the coming elections. The BJP supporters in the Praja Rajyam say that basing on the alliances at the national level, out of the two principal Left parties in the state the CPI(M) may prefer the TD to the Praja Rajyam for alliances. "In the event of this, joining hands with the BJP would give us an edge in triangular fight rather than going alone or aligning with the CPI," a leader in the Praja Rajyam said. According to sources, even though the party leadership is repeatedly denying a possible truck with the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Praja Rajyam camp managers are said to have decided to keep their options open to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Gaining much ground to this, Chiranjeevi himself said on Sunday that there were neither permanent friends nor foes in politics.