Chiru's Praja Rajyam

Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi on Tuesday launched his long-awaited political party (People's Rule) and vowed to bring a change in Andhra Pradesh's politics as he took the temple town of Tirupati by storm with a mega rally attended by some one million frenzied supporters.

"It will be a democratic and secular party. It will be a people's party, born from the hearts of the people. It will be a party for backward classes, farmers, workers, women and youth," he said amid wild cheering from a mainly male gathering drawn from all over Andhra Pradesh.

“The party will work for development, modernisation and industrial revolution. Its goal will be ‘Santosha’, ‘Chirunavvulu’ and ‘Ananda’ (contentment and happiness) Andhra Pradesh,” he said, speaking in Telugu.

“I know your problems, pains and sufferings and will always stand by you,” he said, while taking the oath in the name of Lord Venkateshwara to dedicate his life to serve people.


The launch was in a true filmi style with the actor alone hogging the limelight for two hours. A sea of humanity had descended on the scenic Avilala Cheruvu ground, surrounded by the Tirumala Hills.


It is scheduled as the actor-politician will arrive to the stage around 5:00 PM and get blessings from his mother. He also expected to address the audience for about more than an hour.

Chiranjeevi announced his party name ‘Praja Rajyam’ with the slogan Mana Rajyam Surajyam, Swarajyam, Prajala Rajyam, Praja Rajyam!!

The Party Flag was hoisted near the stage. The flag designed with an inspiration from nature displays red sun on white coloured background and a band of green colour at the foot.

The Sun with 24 rays on the flag symbolizes the energy source in the universe, spreading light all the 24 hours of a day. It also represents the change that is looked forward to. The yellow streak around the red sun indicates the smiles of citizens. While the green colour symbolizes the greenery of agriculture or prosperity and White represents the unity of all the castes like the colours of VIBGYOR merging in to reflect white light.

The Flag also symbolizes the 3 Main faiths White for Christianity, Red for Hinduism and Green for Islam, conveying that the party gives equal importance to all religions.



keeping his options open on future alliances, Chiranjeevi said the question of electoral tie-ups would be considered at a later stage.

While asserting that there was a political vacuum in the State, he, however, said he has no rivals.

“Poverty and backwardness are my enemies. I will fight against them,” he said.

The popular hero said former President A P J Abdul Kalam had inspired him to take the political plunge.

“I would have committed a historical blunder had I not entered politics,” Chiranjeevi said.


During the two-hour mega show, Chiranjeevi said he favoured prohibition but added that his party would take a final decision only after detailed deliberations.

He termed as “social” the problem of Maoist violence, assured to respect the sentiments for separate statehood to Telangana region and declared that his party would recognise economically backward classes as a separate class.

“If people of Telangana feel that we should separate as brothers and this is the best solution, we will discuss and respect their sentiments,” he said.



Chiru, who declared that he had no rivals in politics, took a swipe at the ruling Congress for selling government land to industries and for acquiring cultivable land for Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

“The government is selling lands. Is it justified? We are selling future of our country,” he said in his first remarks criticising the government.

“Nowhere in the country so many SEZs are coming up as in this state. Acquiring lands of poor and cultivable lands for SEZs is unjustified. We are against it,” he said.

The actor also took potshots at the Congress by referring to corruption in construction of irrigation projects.

“We have no rivals. Problems are our rivals. We have no rivals because we have no fear and greed. We have entered the battlefield but our battle is against problems. Courage and honesty are our two weapons. We have no leader. All are soldiers. I am also one among you,” he said.

He delivered the speech in two parts. The first devoted to his personal life, his birth in a lower middle class family of a police constable, his struggle to come up in life. In the second phase, he highlighted priorities of his political party.


Chiru, whose real name is Konidela Siva Shankara Varaprasad, was born in a remote village in West Godavari district in coastal Andhra on Aug 22, 1955. Belonging to Kapu community, he acted in about 150 films.