Hyderabad: Chiranjeevi's political career increasingly resembles a Telugu filmy potboiler. In the latest twist, Chiranjeevi has landed a punch on Chandrababu Naidu, accusing the Telugu Desam leader of plotting to finish him as a politician.
Chiranjeevi has declared war against Chandrababu Naidu. The actor-turned-politician has accused Naidu and his Telugu Desam of trying to finish his one-year-old party, the Praja Rajyam, with the help of two vernacular dailies, whose proximity to Naidu is said to be an open secret. The banner headline in one of the dailies on Thursday screamed the imminent demise of Praja Rajyam.
"They are pro-TDP. The existence of Praja Rajyam is a big hurdle to the TDP. So they want to eliminate us," said Chiranjeevi, president, Praja Rajyam.
After the elections, Naidu blamed parties like the Praja Rajyam for spoiling TDP's chances of coming back to power in Andhra Pradesh. More recently, he openly asked leaders who had quit the TDP before elections to join Chiranjeevi, to return home. Some of them like Devender Goud have already come back to the TDP.
For a megastar with a larger-than-life image, being dismissed as the leader of a small party isn't doing Chiranjeevi's ego any good. With attempts to decimate his political outfit, the fighter in Chiranjeevi is coming to the fore, just like in his films.
NDTV: Chiranjeevi has accused you of trying to eliminate his Praja Rajyam?
Chandrababu Naidu: No comments.
With the opposition battling it out amongst themselves, Rajasekhara Reddy for the moment can afford to sit pretty and sport a smile.