The hopes of erstwhile Praja Rajyam leaders of formally taking membership of the Congress at the earliest were dashed again with the unexpected illness of All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi.
Though all official formalities of the merger of Praja Rajyam with the Congress have been completed, the rank and file of the former are unable to gel with the ruling party.
A formal public meeting to herald the merger publicly was expected by the Praja Rajyam ranks but the Congress high-command had turned down their wish citing the uncertain political situation in the State.
As a consolation, the leaderships of the two parties decided to take up membership-taking functions at Delhi, Hyderabad and district levels to induct the Praja Rajyam leaders into the Congress formally.
As per the consensual decision K. Chiranjeevi, president of the erstwhile party, was supposed to take the Congress membership from the All-India Congress Committee chief at New Delhi on August 8 followed by State and district-level enrolments in the next few days.
With the August 8 plan abandoned in view of Ms. Gandhi's ill-health, the Praja Rajyam leadership is stated to be contemplating to complete the formality in the absence of Ms. Gandhi. When contacted, senior Praja Rajyam leader C. Ramachandraiah said they were planning Mr. Chiranjeevi's membership on the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi falling on August 20 at the hands of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi followed by similar exercise at Hyderabad and district-levels by the month-end.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chiranjeevi wished speedy recovery of Ms. Gandhi as her services were valuable to the Congress and the country.
