Chiru gain from Cong?

The way Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi moved closer to Congress on Saturday has given a first sign of political re alignment in Andhra Pradesh, with a possible electoral tie-up between the two parties.

Chiranjeevi, whose entry into politics has been a miserable flop, met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence to discuss modalities of cooperation between the PRP and the Congress for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections. It is the first meeting since Chiranjeevi entered politics almost two years ago and it is expected to pave way for a formal alliance between the two parties. The PRP president, replying to a question on the future relationship between the two parties, he quipped “Anything is possible in politics.”

The Congress has been wooing the actor as part of a larger strategy to neutralize the defiant MP and CM-aspirant YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He has rubbed the high command on the wrong side by defying its directive to postpone his controversial tour of Telangana region. His attempt to go ahead with the trip, ostensibly to console families of those who died of shock or committed suicide following sudden death of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, triggered large-scale violence in the region on Friday.

Amidst indications of an imminent disciplinary action against Jagan, the Congress leadership opened a channel with Chiranjeevi and sought his party’s support. The move was apparently aimed at putting in place a back-up plan for the worst-case scenario in the event of Jagan raising a banner of revolt.

The PRP has 18 legislators in the 294-member Assembly. Fearing more trouble from Jagan’s camp in the coming Rajya Sabha elections, Sonia invited Chiranjeevi to Delhi to seek his cooperation. The PRP has already authorized him to strike a deal with Congress. In fact, the ruling party was keen for a tie-up with PRP during the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections seven months ago. But, Jagan loyalists had strongly opposed the idea, forcing the party to drop the proposal.

Now, the Congress is seeking PRP’s support to its fourth candidate in Rajya Sabha elections. In lieu of this, PRP may be offered a seat in the next round of elections to Upper House in 2012. Meanwhile, the two parties might enter into seat adjustments in the coming municipal elections later this year and the local bodies’ elections next year.

A section of Congress leaders insist that there are twin advantages in forging an alliance with the popular actor. First, Chiranjeevi can bring in the much-needed dash of glamour to the party in the wake of a vacuum created by the death of charismatic YSR. Second, the move can help check-mate Jagan who has been waiting in the wings to take over the reins.