Praja Rajyam ruled by Mega family

BY J.R.PRASAD
Hyderabad, Oct. 12: "He acted as a facilitator between the Praja Rajyam leaders and fans before the launch of the party. Now his role is over. No longer will he be involved in party affairs," the Praja Rajyam chief, Chiranjeevi, had said about his producer brother-in-law, Mr Allu Aravind. However, Chiranjeevi’s family members continue to meddle in party affairs till date, and many people now feel that the Praja Rajyam is "dominated" by the actor-turned-politician’s family.

No organisational committees have been appointed so far and no position has been given to anyone in the party except setting up of ad hoc committees to supervise the ongoing membership drive. Particularly, Mr Aravind continues to play a major role within the Praja Rajyam. This was evident when he recently toured Delhi and held discussions with the CPI(M) leadership about a pre-poll alliance.

Similarly, the actor’s brother, Mr Nagendra Babu, who co-ordinated the PR’s pre-launch activities, continues to be a key player. In fact, in Chiranjeevi’s absence, Mr Babu runs the the show at the PR headquarters. The PR spokesperson, Mr Parakala Prabhakar, who is Mr Aravind’s family friend, assists Mr Babu.

Mr Babu’s involvement in the party affairs was once again exposed on Saturday when he, along with Mr Prabhakar, announced the appointment of ad hoc committees in which politicians like Mr Ch. Hariramajogaiah, Mr Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao, Mr Tammineni Sitaram, Mr K.S.R. Murthy, Mr Bhuma Nagi Reddy and Mr C. Ramachandraiah were nominated. Chiranjeevi’s other brother, actor Pavan Kalyan, too is active within the party.

Meanwhile, Mr Aravind’s friend and party spokesperson, Mr P. Mitra is accompanying the PR boss on the state tour. Even though seasoned politicians are also a part of the yatra, their role is limited. "Though we are travelling with Chiranjeevi, we are left out while planning party strategies," a senior leader said. However, party leader Ms Shobha Nagi Reddy denied the allegations.