Chiranjeevi declines Rahul Gandhi’s offer of party post

Chiranjeevi declines Rahul Gandhi’s offer of party post

In 2008, Chiranjeevi started Praja Rajyam, a political party in the state of Andhra Pradesh.At the launch, he stated that social justice was the main agenda of his party.In the 2009 general elections, the party won 18 of the 295 seats in the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly.He was elected a Member of the State Assembly from Tirupati.

On 6 February 2011, Chiranjeevi merged the 30-month-old Praja Rajyam Party with the Indian National Congress,after two weeks of talks with Sonia Gandhi, the president of the Congress, which feared the no confidence motion in the state assembly in the wake of the emergence of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party and the stronghold of Telangana agitation.

After more than one year of merging his party into Congress, he was nominated to Rajya Sabha on 29 March 2012. He got elected and took the oath as a Rajya Sabha member on 3 April 2012. On 28 October 2012, he was sworn in as the Union Minister of State (Independent charge), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

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Praja Rajyam Party youth wing leader, launched his own political party Jana Sena and campaigned vigorously against Indian National Congress and in favor of Telugu Desham Party and Bharatiya Janata Party.] Due to the strong anti-Indian National Congress sentiment prevailing in Andhra Pradesh, its candidates were defeated in all parliamentary and state assembly seats Andhra Pradesh with 165 out of 175 candidates losing deposit obtaining less than 10% of vote share]. Since the 2014 elections, he has maintained distance from active politics and will also end his tenure as Rajya Sabha member in April , 2018.

According to Congress sources, Congress president Rahul Gandhi called up Chiranjeevi and fixed a meeting. During their meeting, it appears that Rahul Gandhi wanted to give some prominent post to Chiranjeevi when the AICC is reshuffled. But according to party sources, Chiranjeevi told Rahul Gandhi that he cannot continue in active politics as he is busy with his films, but he will remain with the Congress.

Chiranjeevi has two films on hand at present. He said once the films are completed he will be able spare time for the party.

Speaking newspaper, APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy said, “Chiranjeevi is very loyal to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and to the Congr-ess. Whether he is active in politics or not, he rem-ains a Congress leader. Congress leaders expect him to participate in the next election campaign.”