The Telugu Desam is wooing leaders from Chiru’s Telangana Prajarajyam into its fold. According to sources, the Telugu Desam supremo, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, has asked senior party leaders and others to woo Prajarajyam leaders and activists besides ex-TD leaders who left the party for various reasons and joined other parties.
Mr Naidu has also openly invited former Telugu Desam leaders to return to the party fold to strengthen the party. The TD president has been targeting Prajarajyam since his party failed to return to power in the 2009 polls. There is a feeling in Telugu Desam that the party lost the elections only due to Prajarajyam which cut into its votes and helped Congress in the process.
Since then Mr Naidu has been attacking the Prajarajyam president, Mr Chiranjeevi. Further, rumours make round in the political circles now and then that Mr Chirnajeevi would wind up his party and join the Congress.
Mr Chiranjeevi, during his tour of Tirupati recently, alleged that attempts were being made by some parties to weaken PR by luring party leaders. He also denied rumours about his party merging with the Congress.
It is learnt that a senior TD leader and former minister is reportedly pursuing Ch Sunil, a PR leader who contested the Kakinada Lok Sabha seat and lost.
Similarly, other Prajarajyam leaders who contested the Assembly and the Lok Sabha are also being lured into the party, it is learnt.
“It is true that Telugu Desam is targeting Prajarajyam and trying to lure party leaders so as to weaken it. Telugu Desam is giving wide publicity to even an inconsequential local PRP activist joining Telugu Desam,’’ Mr Kanna Babu, PRP MLA, told this correspondent.
He was referring to a group of party activists from Jaggampet constituency in East Godavari district who joined the party in the presence of Mr Babu the other day. The PRP leaders included the former Zilla Grandhalaya samastha chairman, Mr S.V.S. Appalaraju.
