PRP alliance with Congress 'historical'

Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi on Saturday described the alliance between his party and the Congress as `historical event’.

Talking to media persons on his arrival in the National Capital, the PRP chief said that he came to New Delhi following the Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s invitation to extend support to her party.

He said that his party has no set agenda on talks with Ms Sonia Gandhi and added that he would take a final decision on the issue only after meeting the Congress chief and then discussing the meetings with his party leaders.

The PRP chief said he would meet Ms Gandhi on Sunday at 11 am and hold discussions on the offer extended by her. He said he has authorized senior leader C Ramachandraiah to brief the media over the developments.

Reacting on bifurcation of state issue, the PRP leader reiterated that he would stand by the recommendations given by Justice BN Srikrishna Committee in its Report and support any decision taken by the Centre on the future of Andhra Pradesh.

Though Mr Chiranjeevi has stated that his party has not put any preconditions, sources in political circles pundits say that the PRP is hoping that several benefits will come its way as part of the decision to ally with the Congress.

According to the sources, the PRP is hoping that it would bag the post of Deputy Chief Minister for Mr Chiranjeevi himself, while one senior leader is named as a Union Cabinet Minister.

Among the other notable aspirations of the PRP include a Rajya Sabha seat for Mr Chiranjeevi’s brother-in-law Allu Aravind. It is a known fact that Mr Aravind has long harboured a dream to become an MP.

Apart from this, Mr Chiranjeevi is believed to be in favour of his younger brother and film actor Pawan Kalyan being pitted against former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy in the forthcoming by-elections to the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat.

Apart from all these, Mr Chiranjeevi is looking at 3-4 berths in the state Cabinet for his party MLAs.