TIRUPATI: After a year of alleged inactivity, Praja Rajyam president and local MLA K Chiranjeevi started focusing on Tirupati from where he made his debut in public life by getting elected to the Assembly in the last general election.
Apparently miffed over the mounting criticism from local opposition leaders, who have not missed an opportunity to go hammer and tongs at him saying that the counstituency’s problems were mounting all because of “our MLA not having the time to visit his people’’. The opposition often ridiculed the PRP president by labeeling him as a ‘visiting MLA’.
Chiranjeevi, during election campaigning and later, pledged to visit his constituency at least twice or thrice a month to look into the people’s problems but failed to keep his word.
After his election as MLA he deputed his party leaders as incharges to receive complaints from people and take those up with the authorities concerned. With the initial enthusiasm fading out, the incharges have become non-functional.
Against this backdrop the PRP president visited the temple town twice, within a span of 10 days, in July and had a hectic schedule, infusing vigour and zeal into the party machinery.
On his first visit, which he undertook amidst much fanfare, he went on a padayatra demanding a probe by the CBI or by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the irregularities in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). He demanded that the TTD come clean on the precious ornaments donated by Sri Krishnadevaraya.
The visit proved a big hit and attracted a huge crowd which lined the 4-kmlong route from Alipiri to Tirumala and cheered him all the way. In a dramatic style the actor-turned-politician placed a memorandum at the feet of the idol in Padala Mandapam.
In his latest visit, yesterday and today, Chiranjeevi met a cross-section of people and also his party leaders. He addressed the students of Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswavidyalayam, laid the foundation for a hostel block there and attended the valedictory of SV Medical College’s golden jubilee celebration. His other proframmes included interaction with the elite of the town yesterday, and the residents of Jeevakona, a predominantly labour area, after inaugurating a water supply scheme in the colony today.
Apparently, the PRP president realised that his ‘non-performance’ as an MLA would have an adverse impact on his own as well as the party’s image among the Tirupati people.
Talking to Express, constituency incharge Ooka Vijay Kumar said that the PRP president would visit the town regularly hereafter to interact with the people and party activists.