PRP To Die On Chiranjeevi's Birthday

More than 6 months after announcing his party's merger with the Congress, actor-turned-politician K Chiranjeevi will officially join the Congress on 20 August.

It was on 6 February this year that Chiranjeevi announced that his party, the Praja Rajyam Party, would be merged with the ruling Congress party.

However, following procedural delays by the Election Commission of India, and political developments in the state, the merger got delayed.

Speaking to media persons on Saturday, Chiranjeevi said he would formally take membership of the Congress in New Delhi on 20 August, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will be present at the occasion.

Further, the formality of the PRP's merger with the Congress will be completed on 22 Aug, Chiranjeevi's 56th birthday.

A grand function will be held at Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress' headquarters in Hyderabad, where all senior leaders and legislators of PRP will take Congress membership.

It was on 22 August 2008 that Chiranjeevi had announced his entry into politics. 4 days later, he launched the PRP, ostensibly on the plank of social justice, at Tirupati.

However, the Telugu film superstar, who had acted in 149 films, failed to make an impact in politics, and was able to win just 18 seats in the 2009 general elections.

Despite emerging as the 3rd largest party after the TDP, the PRP could secure just 16.12% of the votes polled.

Chiranjeevi was considered a non-entity in state politics as long as the former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was alive. However, YSR's death led to a vacuum in Congress leadership in the state, which is believed to have facilitated the entry of Chiranjeevi into the party. (INN)