HYDERABAD: Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam received some boost today with former Union minister P Shiv Shankar joining the party and another former Union minister P Upendra all set to join soon.
Shiv Shankar quit the Congress in 2004 while Upendra, who was at one time second-incommand of the N T Rama Rao led Telugu Desam party, left the party in 1992 and since then been keeping away from active politics.
Upendra will play the role of a ``political advisor’’ while Shiv Shankar has been named as head of the manifesto committee and legal cell of the PRP.
A legal expert, Shiv Shankar was a close aide of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and served as a minister in her Cabinet. He also was a member of the Cabinet under Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao.
Upendra, who served as Information Minister in the VP Singh Government, is the first important leader from Kamma community to join the PRP. Upendra’s son-in-law, L Rajagopal, is currently a Congress MP.
Speaking to mediapersons in the presence of Chiranjeevi, Shiv Shankar pointed out that while resigning from the Congress in 2004 he had alleged that party tickets in the State were being sold.
There was no reponse to either his resignation or the allegations made by him.
Hinting that more Congressmen would join the PRP, he named Congress MLA Booragadda Veda Vyas but the latter quickly denied any such move on his part.
``Both the Congress and Telugu Desam are misusing the concept of social justice and PRP is the only party that is genuinely working towards this goal. That is the reason I am here,’’ he said.
Earlier, Chiranjeevi welcomed Shiv Shankar into the party by offering party shawl.
Chiranjeevi described Sivasanker as a family friend and hoped that his vast experience would help Praja Rajyam.
Reacting to the comments made by the BJP senior leader LK Advani that he looked forward to working with PRP, Chiranjeevi said: “I did speak to him over phone but never met him. We will take such decisions that would be in the interests of the people.’’