New Delhi, Feb. 11: Telugu superstar K. Chiranjeevi, who recently merged his Praja Rajyam with the Congress, could soon be offered a berth in the Union Cabinet, top political sources have told this newspaper.
The filmstar, who belongs to the powerful Kapu community in Andhra Pradesh, could be made a Rajya Sabha member in place of the senior Congress leader, Mr N. Janardhan Reddy. Mr Reddy is expected to be made a governor sometime soon. A formal merger of the Praja Rajyam with the Congress is expected next month in the presence of the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, in Andhra Pradesh.
The Congress, which has been in considerable trouble in the state due to the mess over Telangana as well as the political onslaught from the former Kadapa MP, Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been seeking a way to regain its grip. Some Congress spin doctors believe that Chiranjeevi’s induction into the Union Cabinet “will send out a strong signal to the Kapu community, concentrated in the coastal districts, north Telangana and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh.”