The members of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) seem to have concluded that their actor-turned-politician chief K Chiranjeevi would be slighted by the Congress High Command unless they form a distinct group prior to merging with the Congress.
The PRP members lament that though Chiranjeevi had given the Kadapa by-election campaigns his all (even enduring the hurling of eggs and stones at him in the process), the Congress party went on to ignore their President after the completion of the elections.
Chiranjeevi had been invited by the Congress High Command to New Delhi to
discuss the terms and conditions of the merger, and the PRP chief had met Congress In-Charge Of AP Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
However, no concrete decisions were taken, and it has been reported that while Chiranjeevi wanted the official merging of the PRP with the Congress to be a grand and loud event, the High Command preferred the merger to be a low-key, simple event.
Chiranjeevi and the High Command are yet to finalise the role he will play in the Congress party. The actor had stated that while he would prefer a role that allows him to communicate with the public, it was for the Congress to take the final call on his role.
The supporters of Chiranjeevi fear that he might not be given a key position, and are mulling over various options to ensure that Chiranjeevi is treated with respect.