The buzz in the state capital is that filmstar Chiranjeevi is all set to launch his political party. But no one knows the details as the star is not saying anything yet. But a flurry of meetings and consultations between Tollywood’s superstar and a group of retired IAS officers and intellectuals has set tongues wagging. Sources close to the actor say he is taking the advice of former government officers and leading citizens to frame a policy for his party. On the other hand, Chiranjeevi’s elder brother Nagendra Babu is touring the coastal districts, drumming up support for his brother’s proposed party. Short of giving an exact date, his film producer-director brother-in-law Allu Aravind says Chiranjeevi is now ready to announce his party. Chiranjeevi is expected to launch his party on his birthday, August 22. Apparently he has held consultations with retired IAS officers like S R Sankaran and Gopal Rao.According to sources in the film industry, despite the hype surrounding the star’s expected entry into politics, Chiranjeevi himself is not very confident and doesn’t share his brother-in-law Aravind’s optimism. Except for coastal Andhra, Chiranjeevi knows he may not be such a big draw as a politician in other areas, especially Telangana. And he has figures to back his fear. Being the meticulous person that he is, Chiranjeevi had apparently got an opinion survey done in Telangana and central and coastal Andhra and the results haven’t been very encouraging. The survey also made it clear that his party can’t be seen as caste-based although it is primarily expected to be an alternative to the Reddy-dominated Congress and Kamma-dominated TDP. Besides his confidence took a further beating when close friend and actor Balakrishna, who was being wooed by Chiranjeevi, to join his yet-to-be launched party announced that if the TDP wanted, he would contest elections. Bringing Balakrishna, son of former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao, into the TDP fold is being seen as Chandra Babu Naidu’s move to preempt the damage that Chiranjeevi’s party could cause if the son of NTR, who founded TDP, joined it. The star is also disappointed that among the 70-odd election symbols that he has to choose from, his preferred ‘Sun’ is not there. However, Chiranjeevi and his advisors are working on a different model of campaigning: instead of making promises like giving subsidies and largesse, his party is likely to concentrate on reforms that people, especially the poor and socially and economically backward, want. Something that Chiranjeevi, as Subhash Chandra Bose, fought for in his 1993 blockbuster movie Muta Meistri, in which he goes on to become the CM.
