Praja Rajyam Party

Praja Rajyam Party
ప్రజా రాజ్యం పార్టీ
Abbreviation PRP
Leader Chiranjeevi
President Chiranjeevi
Chairperson Chiranjeevi
Founder Chiranjeevi
Founded 26 August 2008 (2008-08-26)
Merger of Nava Telangana Praja Party (2009)
Merged into Indian National Congress (2011)
Headquarters Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Ideology Populist
Social Democracy
ECI Status State Party
National convener Chiranjeevi

Praja Rajyam Party (Telugu: ప్రజా రాజ్యంtranslation: People's Rule[1]) was a regional political party in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, founded by Telugu cinema actor Chiranjeevi on 26 August 2008.[2] On 6 February 2011, it was officially announced that the party would be merging into the Indian National Congress.[3] As announced, it was formally merged with Indian National Congress in August 2011.

Party Formation

The first public meeting[2] was held by Chiranjeevi on 26 August 2008, at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. He addressed a gathering of about a million people and announced the party name and its agenda. The party flag, which has white colour making up 3/4 of the height at the top, and the bottom 1/4 filled with green, was unveiled at the meeting. In the middle of the flag a red coloured sun symbol is encircled with a yellow line.

The green colour is an "acknowledgement to the farmers", red symbolises "change and revolution", the yellow border around the sun symbolises "happiness in every home", white symbolises "clean governance and transparency", and the sun in the middle emphasises the need for change and revolution.

Merger with NTPP

The Nava Telangana Praja Party headed by former minister Tulla Devender Goud was merged with the Praja rajyam Party. NTPP was a political entity campaigning for Telangana State formation, and had a strong base in the Telangana Region of Andhra Pradesh. Post-merger, Goud was made the Vice-President of Praja Rajyam Party.[4]

Chiranjeevi at one time expressed his support for the efforts to forge a "Fourth Front" at the national level.

2009 Election

They won only 18 out of a possible 294 assembly seats. The party leader, Chiranjeevi contested in two assembly seats - Tirupathi and Palakollu (West Godavari District) - and won only in Tirupathi. It polled 18% votes. The entry of PRP made a huge split in anti incumbency votes.[5]

Manifesto

Merger into Congress Party

On 6 February 2011, PRP chief Chiranjeevi announced that his party would be merged with the Indian National Congress party after a meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. The merger was proposed by A.K. Antony, Minister of Defence.[6][7] He stated that he had originally been compelled to create the PRP on a platform of fighting corruption and ensuring social justice but that Congress now had a good record of fighting corruption elsewhere.[8]

It was asserted by political observers that Chiranjeevi's move may have been prompted by his loss of support in the wake of his own strong anti-Telangana stance in previous months.[9] It was argued in the press that Chiranjeevi's move would particularly strengthen Congress' hand in retaining the Kapu (caste) vote, as the PRP had done particularly well among them.[10]

References

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