The debutant politician, Chiranjeevi, said like his entry into films, his decision to enter politics too was a spontaneous one.

Interacting informally with journalists here on Thursday ahead of his birthday on Friday, which he intends to spend with his family and away from the public glare, he said there was no single factor that made him enter the field. When asked whether it were issues like price rise, uprooting of people due to SEZs and other major projects, etc, that moved him, he said: "I cannot say it is this particular reason or that which pained me and forced me to jump into politics. But I can say that the problems like hunger and the apathy of the rulers towards the poor, have really troubled me a lot," he said.

"It is always small things and ordinary people that have had serious bearing on me. I would love to become small to catch up with them," he said. Never a reader of great books, the actor, however, singled out one book, 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff' by Richard Carlson, (a bestseller of the nineties) that helped him unclutter his mind and life.

Chiranjeevi maintained that his entry into politics was not premeditated. "Like my entry into the movie world, my entry into politics too was not preplanned." Nevertheless, he said certain forces working at the subconscious level might have driven him into public life.

Saying that he is fascinated by ordinary people, he said he noticed every ordinary fan wanting to communicate something to him when they watched him from afar at film functions. "I do not know what they wanted to communicate to me, But this new life is giving me an opportunity to interact with them. So far, I have not been one among them. Now, I want to become one," he said.

Interestingly, the star, who is yet wear the trade mark khadi, had no icon among the contemporary politicians. "We like one leader for one type of quality. I take inspiration from good qualities in all the leaders," he said. However, he named former president A P J Abdul Kalam as a recent inspiration to enter public life.

"Though mingling with the masses is not new to me, this new experience is uplifting my mood, I hear so much from them. I love this," he said.

Tirupati to be under Chiru siege on Aug 26

HYDERABAD/TIRUPATI: Even as newly-turned-politician Chiranjeevi plans to have a quiet birthday with his family on Friday, the tempo of activity is picking up in Tirupati ahead of the public meeting on August 26 with his fans attempting to practically take over the temple town in the run-up to the meeting. The preliminary assessment of the intelligence department is that approximately 3 lakh people would turn up for the meeting.

Special trains and buses are being arranged and hotels in Tirupati, Renigunta and Tiruchanur, as well as guest houses and kalyanamandapams have already been booked. And in a development on Thursday, Charanjeevi fans are reportedly requesting several private marriage parties who have booked the various function halls in these areas for the last 10 days of August to either shift the venue or put it off till the meeting is over.

One fan, on condition of anonymity, told TOI that they are making such a request to the marriage parties because "we need all the available space to accommodate those pouring in over the next three days". In all, there are 30 huge kalyanamandapams in Tirupati and many other private ones in the nearby towns. Many auspicious days fall in the last 10 days of August because of which several weddings are slated to take place during that period.

Another worrying factor for officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devesthanams is that there may be a deluge of fan-pilgrims before and after the public meeting for darshan of Lord Venkateshwara. Even if the authorities make special arrangements for the Chiru fans, it would take a minimum of 12 hours for the darshan to be completed. "We can at best squeeze in about 80,000 pilgrims per day, but even for that, we need to make special contingency plans," one TTD official said. But the intelligence department's assessment is that over a lakh of the three lakh who come for the political rally would climb up for darshan of the Lord. This would mean that it will take some 36 hours for the darshan.

Meanwhile, the railway authorities have decided to run 11 special trains to Tirupati from the coastal areas of Rajahmundry, Eluru, Kakinada, Narasapur, Chirala, Ongole and Anakapalli. These trains will operate on full tariff rates, one official said, and added that the organisers had sought 16 such trains for the meeting.

The Road Transport Corporation (RTC) too has arranged 250 buses from the Chittoor depot as against the requisition of 1,350 buses. The buses will be hired at the rate of Rs 28 per km. Similarly, 26 buses have been sanctioned from West Godavari, 56 from Ongole, 200 from Nellore and 150 vehicles from Krishna. The requests from the other districts are being looked into, the authorities added.

Going by his reputation Chiranjeevi is an indecisive man who agonises a lot before taking any decision. But the delay in kickstarting his party has nothing to do with the megastar's nature: it was possibly a deliberate decision to float a political outfit only six months before the elections. The film star wants to take a one full circle of the state which he reckons would boost his popularity enough to allow him to somersault to the chief minister's gaddi. By implication the thinking is that if the period between his actual launch and elections is longer the superstar's appeal could be waning.

But on the eve of his maiden political press conference, analysts predict with confidence that Chiru will certainly be kingmaker, though they can't figure out whether he has the chance of becoming the king. "It's an inter-dependent world, what you will be able to achieve will also depend on what others do. Before Chandrababu Naidu's 'Mee Kosam' it was certain that TDP was on a very weak wicket; but no longer so. It would not be a cakewalk for Chiranjeevi," says a Congress MP.

In other words, if there were prospects earlier that the main battle would be between the Congress and the Chiranjeevi party, the present assessment is that there will be a three-way battle. "This could well throw up a hung legislative assembly, which means that Chiranjeevi can become a crucial factor and may be a kingmaker," a political analyst said.

Other analysts say that if Naidu's crisscrossing of the state had not been perceived as not good enough, his cadres would have left en masse and what is more his support base would have shifted away from him to Chiranjeevi. But except for a few leaders not many are expected to desert Chandrababu.

The Congress under Y S Rajasekhara Reddy - in spite of his overconfidence - however remains strong notwithstanding the anti incumbency factor. This means that the number of Congress leaders - except for those who see no chances of getting party nominations in the next elections - deserting the party for Chiranjeevi party will be minimal.

Analysts say that for Chiranjeevi to transit to be perceived as king from kingmaker will be a giant leap. They point out that only if the megastar is able to truly become a backward caste leader will he able to become the king. "The OBCs, Dalits and scheduled tribes comprise the majority of voters in the state. In this the OBCs form the chunk. He has to win their support to become chief minister," a political analyst said.

At present Chiranjeevi is merely seen as a leader of the Kapus and of his fans who are concentrated in cities. "The common man and the OBCs are yet to sail with him though his manifesto makers and political aides are advising him to have a strong backward caste orientation," a close watcher of political affairs says.

However analysts agree that the megastar has a strong support base in West and East Godavari, Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakhapatnam, parts of Guntur, Krishna, Chittoor, Prakasam, Kurnool and Anantapur districts. Though in his films Chiranjeevi asks for a share of the earnings in the Nizam's territory as his remuneration, his support base in Telangana is not all that much.

It may sound strange but coastal Andhra leaders of Telugu Desam now want separate Telangana, all thanks to mega star Chiranjeevi. The actor’s plan to enter politics has changed the mindset of Andhra leaders of the TD to an extent. They are now stepping up pressure on the TD chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, to soften the party’s stand over separate statehood in order to forge an electoral understanding with the Telangana Rastra Samiti.

The same leaders had earlier bluntly rejected a truck with the Telangana Rastra Samiti and opposed the idea of a separate state.

However, they now feel that after Chiranjeevi’s political entry, the TD may witness desertions large-scale desertions in coastal Andhra, which may have repercussions in other regions. So, to counter the impact of Chiranjeevi’s proposed party, a tie-up with TRS is necessary. This will instil confidence in the party workers of Andhra region that the TD would win the 2009 polls. Senior leaders from Andhra region including Mr K. Yerrannaidu, Mr Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, and Mr Kodela Shiva Prasada Rao were earlier staunch supporters of united Andhra.

However, they have changed tack after the exit of Mr T. Devender Goud and are now amenable to the Telangana idea. When Mr Goud was in the TD, there had been sharp exchanges between him and Mr Ramakrishnudu over Telangana. In the first meeting of TD five-member committee on Telangana too, Mr Goud was singled out for criticism.

All this has changed now. When asked about the possible tie-up between the TD and the TRS, Mr Yerrannaidu replied, "We will adopt whatever strategy is needed to dislodge this government in next elections." He added that the Congress was the main enemy of the people and the TD would do everything to defeat that party.

Talking to this newspaper, Mr Shiva Prasada Rao also said the TD was not against Telangana. "Some leaders of our party are under the impression that if we take pro-Telangana stance, people of Andhra area may not accept it," he said. "This notion is wrong. One should not forget that Andhra people also agitated for state bifurcation." Another senior leader from Andhra said that there was no point in the TD opposing the idea of Telangana. "It is better to buy time for a few more days," he said. courtesy : DC

Chiranjeevi spoke to media for the first time yesterday in Hyderabad. Some selected Journalists were invited for this meet and Chiru himself disclosed his party details :
1.Chiru is going to announce the party in the third week of August, so it might be announced on 22nd August, birthday of Megastar.

2.Actress Suhasini will be given suitable post in the party.

3.Public meeting will be held in ChinnaThirupathi (Dwaraka Thirumala- it is East Godavari district).

4.Chiru is expecting to win 220 assembly seats in the next elections .

5.Writer Ananth Sreeram is penning all the songs for the party.

6.SP Balu and Mano are rendering their voice for this purpose

7.Alliances with other Parties will depend on public opinion.

8.Decesion on alliances will be taken only after going round the state.

9.Even Telangana issue will be dealt only after State tour.

10.Ready to contest from any assembly seat from 294 seats

11. 70% seats will be given to youth and 30% seats will be given to senior politicians.

Chiiru Party. Chiru’s Brother nagababu said yesterday (15/06/08) annaya will enter politics in august surely.Yesterday (17/06) chiru came Anjaneya swamy temple.chiru said to press this is not the right time to talk about politics. Ramcharan, Muralimohan also are there.

Pavankalyan said chiru party is coming very soon. Nagababu is very busy in party meetings. yesterday(29/06) he had attended a big meeting in srikakulam dist. Dr Mitra is also very busy in meetings. In jublee hills road no 48 chiru party office .

So many Political Leaders are looking for join in chiru party. Nandyala TDP ex M.P
Bhuma.Nagireddy is Ready to join in chiru party. His Wife also TDP Ex MLA. Also Ready to join in chiru party. Warangal MP Dayakararao’s Brother also join in chiru party. KADAPA Dist TDP MP (ex Minister) C.Ramachandraiah and TDP ex Minister Kaleel Basha are Decided to Join in Chiru Party.

Chiru enterd politics in august. chiru fans are do many rally's. soft ware employes are also invited to chiru come politics earlear. all are people are waiting when chiru annoucement his party.yesterday chiru fans are do a big rally in Narsapuram.