Like his movies, Chiranjeevi appears to be having more mass appeal than class appeal — read political class — even with his party Prajarajyam. More commoners and professionals are heading to his party office than professional politicians. Away from the media glare, a new scene began unfolding on the other side of his party office building where groups of doctors, lawyers, representatives of voluntary organisations, rationalists and techies gathered.

Interestingly, these groups are not led by any self-professed political leader. Many of them came to Hyderabad to meet the star who promised to bring about a change in the state. Though nobody is sure what the change actually means, some youth organisations networked among themselves into a group to work for the party. "We don't want any political office. We hope Chiru's entry into politics will herald a new and clean phase in politics. So, we have decided to support him," A Manohar Rao, a school teacher from Guntur district told 'TOI'.

A senior anaesthetist from NIMS and a senior cardiologist from Wockhardt Hospital also came to meet Chiru along with a good number of their friends in tow. A well-known educational institution on the outskirts of the city organised its old students into an army of volunteers to work for the party. "Politicians are discredited now. People are desperately waiting for a change. So, a new approach is needed and only a new and fresh face could do it. We want to extend our support in a different way by sparing our old students," correspondent of the institute told Parakala Prabhakar, spokesperson of the party.

Sudhakar Devaraj, a cardiologist from Wockhardt Hospital, said he was attracted by the simplicity and commitment of Chiranjeevi to social justice. "I have no political plans apart from offering medical service to the people. I want to associate with Chiranjeevi simply because he is promising a change in the set-up instead of promising the moon," Dr Devaraj said. Delegations of nondescript people kept on meeting the star's aides till late in the evening.

On the other hand, hogging the transient limelight, a trickle of khadi-clad leaders including former TDP minister K Vidyadhara Rao, former TDP MLA A Mohan, former Bhadrachalam MP T Vijayakumari joined Prajarajyam party on Monday followed by a senior Congress leader and former Chittor MP M Gyanendra Reddy with all pomp. Chiranjeevi said he was happy to announce the association of experienced leaders like Vidyadhara Rao, which would greatly benefit the party. Vidyadhara Rao, the former TDP leader from West Godavari district, said he quit the TDP as it had started drifting away from its founding principles since 1999. The brouhaha, however, died down after the leaders left in their SUVs. TOI