Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi, who had given enough indications in the recent months of launching a political party, on Sunday finally announced his foray into politics.

The party’s name, flag, symbol and agenda will be unveiled at the first public meeting to be held at the temple town of Tirupati on August 26.

The day also marked an end of his long stint with the tinsel town. “Though the film industry is very dear to me, I will not sail in two boats. But I will not back off from acting in message-oriented and educative movies,” he said.

The actor, who was inspired by former president APJ Abdul Kalam to take the political plunge, said: “It would have been a historic mistake if I did not take a decision to get into politics.”

Speaking at his party office in Jubilee Hills, Chiranjeevi said he had interacted with a cross section of people for guidance before beginning his political journey. “I am not here for power. I dedicate myself to the cause of the poor.”

He said he was also influenced by former chief minister and Telugu matinee idol late NT Rama Rao. “There is a political vacuum and people want a change,” he added.

He also recollected other instances which helped him in his decision. “A homeguard in Khammam committed suicide due to financial reason. In his suicide note, he expressed regrets of not being able to vote for Chiranjeevi,’’ the actor, who was born in a constable’s family, said.

In another instance, a well-read couple committed suicide. They too in their letter had expressed their desire to vote for Chiranjeevi.

“Our party will work for Santhoshaandhra Pradesh (a happy Andhra Pradesh),’’ he said. On issues like separate statehood to Telangana, he said it was a sensitive issue and a decision would be taken after ‘scientific analysis’.

“We had 5 acres agricultural land,’’ he said to a query if he knew anything about agriculture. “I do not know what a blood group is. But I know blood is essential to save a life. I do not know what politics is but I certainly know that people’s issues come first,’’ he said. Minorities and women issues would also be part of his agenda.

He ducked the question on the burning issues he had identified. “The media will identify them for me,” he sounded diplomatic. In the same tone, he said his assets were disclosed to the Income Tax department and his rivals were not chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy or TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, but poverty.

While not ruling out alliances with other parties or scaling up to a national party, he said the party would be open to all. He felt regional parties, like in Tamil Nadu, were here to stay.

He is yet to decide the constituency he will fight the elections from and refrained from hazarding a guess on the total number of seats his party would capture.