Chiranjeevi’s fans who hyped his film releases and spreaheaded his blood donation drives are a sore lot today. They see themselves being sidelined by Chiranjeevi in his new avatar as politician. In every district, Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam is pitting politicians who joined the party recently ahead of die-hard supporters of the star. In Anantapur district, the fans association leader, Mr Surendra Babu, is reportedly unhappy with the growing importance Mr J. Suryanarayana, who recently joined from the Telugu Desam.

In Visakhapatnam, the fief of Mr Raghava Rao, it is the former TD legislator, Mr Rehman, who is calling the shots. In Warangal district, Mr K. Prabhakar has been passed over for Mr E. Pradeep Rao, brother of the TD leader Mr E. Dayakar Rao. In Nalgonda district, the fans association president, Mr B. Venkanna Goud, is now eclipsed by Mr J. Sudhaker Rao who is claiming that he is a close relative of Chiranjeevi’s brother-in-law, Mr Allu Aravind. The Guntur district fans association president, Mr S. Satish Kumar, gave vent to his anger at being sidelined.

Mr Kumar has seen new entrants like K. Rosaiah, son-in-law of the TD leader, Mr U. Venkateshwarlu, and other leaders who crossed-over from the TD. When contacted Mr Kumar said, “I am a die-hard fan of Chiranjeevi. I conducted many blood donation camps for the megastar. But some political leaders who recently pledged their support to PR are trying to dominate me in the district.” “I have faith in the party leadership, that they will give me an appropriate post in the party.”

“The Praja Rajyam leadership is treating fans as second class citizens and giving priority to political leaders who joined the party recently,” said a leader of the Chiranjeevi fans association from Prakasam district.

The Maharashtra government has asked the general administration department (GAD) to inquire against controversial bureaucrat T Chandrashekhar for withdrawing $10,000 as "contingency advance" on behalf of three IAS officers, without their knowledge, from the MMRDA's finance department two years ago. Chandrashekhar recently resigned from the service.

"The papers have been sent to the GAD for inquiry," chief secretary Johny Joseph told 'TOI'. In September 2006, Chandrashekhar went on a four-day World Bank-sponsored seminar to Bangkok along with his three IAS colleagues, Sanjay Ubale, Ramanand Tiwari and Milind Mhaiskar.

"As the MMRDA commissioner then, Chandrashekhar directed the finance department to give him $10,000 as contingency advance for the trip. But each officer is entitled to only $2,500 in case of any emergency and has to return the money after the trip. The money was withdrawn in the names of Ubale, Tiwari and Mhaiskar without their knowledge," government sources said.

It was only on 16 April 2008, a full 19 months later, that Chandrashekhar finally returned the money (Rs 4.79 lakh) to the MMRDA. On 28 April, the current MMRDA commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad wrote to Chandrashekhar, informing him that although he had returned the money, he may face objections from the audit department.

On May 15, 2008, Gaikwad shot off another letter to chief secretary Joseph: "Still there is no explanation (by Chandrashekhar). Hence, I request that there should be an appropriate inquiry," said the letter. "This is sheer mischief. There is no inquiry against me. You know there are lobbies working against me," Chandrashekhar told 'TOI', when asked to comment.

Terming the accusations as false, the high-profile bureaucrat, who finally quit the IAS a few days ago, claimed the MMRDA's finance department did not remind him about returning the money. "We were bogged down with so much work. Moreover, I had to travel abroad regularly and had taken so many advances. Not refunding the advance in time is not an offence because nowhere is it stipulated that the money has to be handed back within a particular period after the trip," he said.

The former bureaucrat's colleagues in the MMRDA defended him, stating that he may have "genuinely forgotten" about returning the money. "For a man of his stature, he is hardly a person who would sit on something like $10,000," they said.

Chandrashekhar denied that the money was withdrawn without the knowledge of his three travelling companions. None of them was available for comment.

But sources said that it was only when Mhaiskar denied taking $2,500 which MMRDA asked him to return that the entire matter came to light.

Pawan Kalyan's dream project Sathyagrahi will go on floors from January 2009 and the film finishes its shoot in single schedule and it would be released before next assembly elections.

Pawan who is busy with his Puli film shoot and at the same time Praja Rajyam work, is taking some time to script his Sathyagrahi.

Pawan is blending his Common Man protection forces agenda and Chiru's Praja Rajyam agenda for this film. Pawan wants to give a strong social message with this film that helps his brother Chiru to become CM of AP.

Megastar wanted to do some message oriented films before launching the party, but that couldn't happened due to some reasons. Now Pawan and Nagababu are adding some political message flavor to their films to help annayya.

Surya News paper Chief Nukarapu Surya Prakash Rao is likely to produce Sathyagrahi film of Pawan.

To counter Mr Charismatic Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam, stars of the Nandmuri clan – namely, Balakrishna, Junior NTR, Kalyan Ram, will hold road shows to garner support for the Telugu Desam party (TDP.)

The clash between the two star families can be billed as a clash of titans to make the contest in around 100-odd seats worth keeping an eye on. Chiranjeevi holds the highest number of fan clubs followed by die-hard fans of Balakrishna and supporters of both the camps are known for betting big bucks on box-office records of their respective stars.

Later Pavan Kalyan and Jr NTR joined the fray to thicken the rivalry and bets and wordy duels continued unabated. "If Balakrishna campaigns or if even he contests, then our Praja Rajyam will have neck-to-neck fights in numerous seats in Rayalaseema, but I don't think they can make a big impact in other regions," says Gopal, an ardent Chiranjeevi supporter. With a staunch supporter conceding anticipation a close fight, it seems that a keen contest is on the cards.

TDP President Chandrababu Naidu has tactfully roped in NTR's family to counter Chiranjeevi's popularity. With the star-turned-politician all set for his campaign trail, the former Chief Minister has urged the 'stars' of the famed clan to begin 'Yuva Garjana' to unveil the statues of late NTR besides addressing political rallies.

"He had no other choice, since he had to halt the exodus of leaders besides rejuvenating demoralised party cadre," says a senior political analyst who opines that a few more big leaders are on their way out. "We can give a strong fight in the Krishna- Guntur districts, north Andhra and some seats in coastal areas as well," reveals the follower of Nandamuri kinfolk.

With close combat in 100-odd seats and the Telangana vote bank already split between various parties, it seems that Chiranjeevi has to announce a few populist schemes. After late MGR and NTR, the leading actor should add populism to his charisma to deliver the final blow.

It’s a metamorphosis the Mahatma would smile at. After goondagiri, Chiru’s fans are now moving towards Gandhigiri. This comes as not too long ago ardent fans of the star attacked the actor couple Rajasekhar and Jeevitha as Rajasekhar, in response to a question by the media, said that Chiru lacked the experience to enter politics.

But that was when Chiru was yet to launch Prajarajyam. Now, the party, which purportedly is inspired by the Mahatma, among others has made Gandhigiri its credo. Give bouquets in response to brickbats, even if they are of the verbal variety. Here’s how Prajarajyam activists swept the roads in the temple town of Tirupati in a symbolic protest against TDP Telugu Mahila wing chief R K Roja’s remarks against the matinee idol. In a typical Gandhigiri fashion, they offered flowers to the photograph of the film actor-turned TDP activist.

“Henceforth, we would offer bouquets to her whenever she visits the district,” a Prajarajyam leader said. The trigger to the floral response? Addressing mediapersons after the party’s SC Cell meeting here on Monday evening, Roja said Chiranjeevi is a novice in politics whereas she is a known face not only in Andhra Pradesh, but also in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as an actor as well as a politician.

The firebrand actor, who made serious allegations against the Prajarajyam chief a couple of days ago, once again spit fire at Chiranjeevi saying films and politics are two different fields. “We might have acted in films, but in politics we belong to two different parties and we are rivals,” she thundered.

Denouncing the Prajarajyam chief’s comments against the Congress and the TDP, Roja said it would be better for Chiranjeevi to be clear on his party’s policies and agenda instead of throwing mud at other parties.

On the protests by the Prajarajyam workers over her remarks against Chiranjeevi, she said: “Criticisms and counter-attacks are part and parcel of politics. Prajarajyam claims it follows the Gandhian way, but why should its workers stage protests?” she questioned. But who can deny that the roja (rose) offered to her photo and the promise to offer bouquets when she comes visiting by Prajarajyam’s activists are Gandhian enough?

Even as Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam is making efforts to woo some film personalities, there is a lull in the party in terms of new entrants.

No big political leader has evinced interest in the party since the Telugu Desam’s Tammineni Sitaram joined four days ago. Even those like C. Ramachandraiah, former Rajya Sabha member who quit the TDP, have been kept waiting on the premise that the party has chalked out a schedule and his time would come. While aspiring leaders are in the queue, Mr. Chiranjeevi’s managers are contacting his friends in the film industry, including small-time actors to add some more glamour quotient.

Sources revealed that despite three rounds of talks, Mr. Chiranjeevi and his confidantes failed to convince a leading personality from a ‘star production house’ and another producer to join the party.

They are stated to have clearly told him that there was a difference between N. T. Rama Rao hitting the road in 1983 and Mr. Chiranjeevi’s political foray and that a change was not possible overnight with just one person.

Asked for the industry’s response to the actor’s party, Mr. Tammareddi Bharadwaj, a producer of over 40 films, who is known for championing the industry’s cause, did not mince words while asking, “What has he done for the industry and why should the industry people bother about him?”

The differences between Mr. Chiranjeevi and Congress leader, film director and his one-time mentor Dasari Narayana Rao are all too well known; more so with Mr. Rao producing a film ‘Maistry’ lampooning the actor-turned-politician who played the lead role in the hit film ‘Mutha Maistry’.

A case has been booked against Prajarajyam chief Chiranjeevi, Dalit writer Kathi Padma Rao, his son Chetan and others at the Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar police station on Friday night for their role in the controversial inter-caste wedding of the writer's son.

Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi was booked for "conniving with others in kidnap, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation".

Chiranjeevi attended the marriage of Padma Rao's son Chetan with Nalini, a 24-year-old engineer belonging to an upper caste, at Film Nagar club on August 30.

The wedding triggered a controversy after the bride's parents Tammina Subba Rao and T Mani alleged that their daughter was kidnapped and forced into the wedlock at the behest of the actor and his fans.

They also filed a petition with the State Human Rights Commission on Saturday complaining that though they had lodged a complaint police did not act on it.

Police were in a state of dilemma till Saturday evening whether to book a case against Chiranjeevi or not. Late in the evening, they booked a case against the Prajarajyam chief and his fans for conniving with other accused in the case.

According to Nalini's parents, their daughter was allegedly abducted by Padma Rao and his son Chetan from a working women's hostel in Ameerpet and forced into marriage at the Film Nagar club.

A day after the monsoon session of Assembly ended, the TDP embarked on a serious exercise to gear up the party for the general elections, and has started working out strategies to counter the changing political scenario. It has decided to draft actors Harikrishna, Balakrishna, Jr NTR and Kalyanram into its poll campaign to counter the impact of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday hosted lunch for these actors and their families at his Jubilee Hills residence. Though on record it was claimed that it was a family gathering, the fact remains that a serious discussion took place on the modalities of the campaign to be taken up soon. The NTR family scions reiterated their full support to Naidu. Naidu took care to see that none of the senior party members was present at the meeting.

Senior TDP leaders say that this meeting would send a message across the rank and file that the NTR family was strongly behind Naidu. Now that it is more or less certain that the TDP and the Left would go together in the polls, support from the NTR family would help prevent any exodus from the cadre even if some more leaders decide to jump over to Prajarajyam, it is felt.

According to sources, the tentative decision was that Balakrishna would make his political entry with a public meeting at Mahbubnagar later this month after unveiling a statue of NTR. He will also participate in the Yuva Garjana to be held in Guntur next month. Harikrishna and Jr NTR are likely to address meetings in the Rayalaseema region in the first phase where they have considerable fan following. Kalyanram will address meetings in the coastal belt.

Harikrishna will go round the Telangana districts and enthuse the cadre. However, it is not yet clear if Balakrishna, whose daughter is married to Naidu's son, will only be a star campaigner or will be asked to contest polls. Party insiders say that as of now he will only campaign and will not contest. Balakrishna is said to have made vain efforts to rope in his sister and Union minister of state D Purandreeswari and her husband D Venkateswara Rao on the Rakhi day.

As the date of the launch of Chiranjeevi’s state-wide tour approaches, the camp managers of the Praja Rajyam are getting jittery over the security aspect of the tour. After the bitter experiences during Chiranjeevi’s maiden political meeting at Tirupati that witnessed stampede like situation and injured 40 people, the PR leadership is chalking out an action plan for the smooth passage of the actor’s “Political Rath.”

According to the PR’s security personnel, at least 500 trained personnel would be required in every road show which will be addressed by Chiranjeevi. Sources said they had sent a requisition to the state home department seeking police protection. However, the home ministry has reportedly denied the request. “We have been chalking out plans for Chiranjeevi’s roadshows so that his rath moves smoothly. Till now, we did not come to any conclusion on how the security arrangements should be made,” said Mr Hanumanta Rao, the personal security officer of the PR chief.