VISAKHAPATNAM: Film star-turned-politician and founder of Praja Rajyam Chiranjeevi launched a broadside against Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu for calling him ‘inefficient and will not be able to run a Government’.
Roadshow

Speaking at a roadshow at Anakapalle, 40 km from here on Monday night, Mr. Chiranjeevi said he has been in the film industry as a top hero and No. 1. “Is it not efficiency?” he asked.

“On the other hand Mr. Naidu failed to be an opposition leader in the Assembly. When Chief Minister Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy told him to sit down, he could not do anything.

Mr. Naidu failed to prove the many corruption charges against Dr. Reddy”.

The Praja Rajyam leader said while Mr. Naidu is a retailer in corruption, the Chief Minister was a wholesale dealer.

Reacting to a reported statement by Mr. Naidu that Praja Rajyam had given tickets to upper caste candidates in the guise of BCs, Mr. Chiranjeevi challenged the TDP leader to prove the charge.

If the charge was proved, he would quit politics and if not Mr. Naidu must take sanyas from politics, he demanded.

Mr. Chiranjeeevi reached the Nehru Chowk in the jaggery town after 9 p.m. to canvass for his brother-in-law and an important figure in the party Allu Aravind, who is contesting for the Lok Sabha and Ganta Srinivasa Rao for the Anakapalle Assembly seat.

A woman supporter presented Mr. Chiranjeevi with a locomotive, party’s symbol, made of jaggery.

Another fan presented a pair of costly sunglasses. A large number of party supporters gathered to listen to Chiranjeevi.

The PR leader was stopped at several places as he came to Anakapalle from Elamanchili and had to conclude the day’s campaign in Anakapalle as the deadline approached.