HYDERABAD: Rather than be reduced to a state of nervous inaction, Praja Rajyam Party president Chiranjeevi chose the penultimate day of the long-drawn out election process to plan moves to be made following the announcement of results.
Though unencouraging predictions by various TV channels have proved a bit of a damper, he forged ahead with party business, even if mostly keeping home on the day.
Since morning, several party leaders and close aides visited his residence and conferred with him on tomorrow’s agenda. In the afternoon, Chiranjeevi left the house for a few hours, but party leaders refused to divulge the destination.
Some sources, however, said he visited the camp arranged for party candidates at a resort on the city outskirts.
Throughout the day, Chiranjeevi kept calling district leaders and enquired about the whereabouts of candidates. When some leaders informed him that the Congress was trying to poach candidates, the PRP president told them to be vigilant.
Meanwhile, national leaders from both the UPA and NDA formations established contact with the actor-turned-politician in the hope of counting on his support in the event of a hung Parliament. Chiranjeevi is said to have told them that the party would put the interests of the State first while making a choice at the national level.
No prominent leader, except political affairs committee member P Upendra, turned up at the party office today. The other biggies -- T Devender Goud, P Shiv Shanker and others spent the day at Chiranjeevi’s, discussing various possibilities, including the role to be played by the party at the Centre if it got a sizable number of seats.
In the evening, “celebrations” were witnessed at the party office, with cadres bursting crackers, and chanting “Chief Minister Chiranjeevi” and “Praja Rajyam Zindabad” to the accompaniment of drumbeats.