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SP-Praja Rajyam meet sets off speculation

Special Correspondent

— Photo: Satish H.

Something cooking?: Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi greeting Samajwadi party general secretary Amar Singh, Jayaprada and Jaya Bachchan, MPs, in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: Amid vehement denials by the Samajwadi Party and Praja Rajyam leaders that not much should be read into their meeting on Sunday, the former’s remarks indicated that politics did figure during the 55-minute meeting.

While Samajwadi party general secretary Amar Singh told Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi that politics was not ‘a bed of roses’, his party MP Jaya Bachchan wanted the actor to go all alone in fighting the next elections.

Internal matter

However, Mr. Singh’s comments at a press conference later gave rise to speculation. To a pointed question on whether the close friendship between actor Chiranjeevi and Amitabh Bachchan could translate into a political alliance with the SP in the long run, Mr. Singh said, “Yeh andar ki baat hai” (It is an internal matter).

The meeting between Chiranjeevi and the high-level SP delegation led by Mr. Singh and comprising party MPs -- Jaya Bachchan and Jayaprada -- was described purely as a ‘goodwill’ visit to congratulate the former on his political entry.

Word of advice

Playing down political import to the meeting, Mr. Singh denied any alliance between the two parties and said, “If we were keen on an alliance we would have sailed with the TDP. Even the alliance with Congress in Uttar Pradesh needs to be finalised.”

He also had a word of advice for Mr. Chiranjeevi: “I told him that he has chosen a difficult path in public life and that his every move will be under scrutiny and he should be prepared for the criticism.

I am a fan of Chiranjeevi, there is need for such a person to enter politics. All his reel life roles should be translated in real life.”

Hidden agenda denied

At a briefing later, spokesmen Parakala Prabhakar and Dr. P. Mitra denied any hidden agenda. “There was no political discussion during the interaction. They had not come here with any political expectations,” Mr. Prabhakar added. Quoting Ms. Bachchan, he said: “You are an icon on your own, it is better if you fight elections alone.”

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