Date:05/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/05/stories/2008120553950400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

PR leaders discuss roadmap for future

Special Correspondent

Praja Rajyam goes into a huddle to chalk out damage-control measures

-PHOTO: Satish. H

All ears: PR president K. Chiranjeevi addresses meet. in Hyderabad on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: Faced with apprehensions of a gulf between the Praja Rajyam leadership and the people, the party’s high command went into a huddle on Thursday to chalk out damage-control measures.

Though the fledgling party has had its share of ‘secret’ meetings between party president Chiranjeevi and senior leaders, the latest conclave was significant since it is 100 days that the film star addressed his maiden public meeting at Tirupati on August 26. According to sources, the leaders discussed measures to speed up the process of building an organisational framework in each Assembly constituency and district, besides devising a plan for organising public meetings, in view of the ban imposed by the High Court on ‘road shows’.

Having tasted success in terms of public turnout in all the three legs of Mr. Chiranjeevi’s ‘Praja Ankitha Yatra’ in the north Coastal, Telangana and Rayalaseema districts and keeping in mind the fast-approaching elections, the party managers are determined not to lose out on the advantages of the high visibility of their leader.

Briefing reporters later, party spokesman P. Mitra and Parakala Prabhakar said the exercise of constituting district and Assembly constituency-level committees was almost over and the names would be announced soon.

The meeting discussed in details on how to ensure Mr. Chiranjeevi’s public presence without breaching the law. He said the purpose of the brainstorming session was to devise ways of holding ‘static’ meetings without the party president travelling atop his ‘ratham’.

Party leaders Ch.Harirama Jogaiah, P. Upendra, Tammineni Seetaram and members of the core committee, including C. Anjaneya Reddy, P. Mitra and Parakala Prabhakar, K. Nagendra Babu and party general secretary Allu Aravind were present.