Chiranjeevi is going to start a new party

Chiranjeevi will formally announce his entry into politics in January next year and launch a political party, sources close to him said on Monday.

Close confidants of the actor put out the word at an informal interaction with a select group of journalists here on Monday basically to test the waters and elicit feedback. The meeting was said to have been convened at the behest of Chiranjeevi himself.

The actor played out a poorly written script to announce his entry, and his behind-the-scenes directors clearly let him down. Some of the persons whom Chiranjeevi chose to spread the word have.

impeachable integrity, and their standing will be badly affected if the actor changes his mind.

Chiranjeevi made all the right noises. He does not want to be seen as casteist - the expectation is that the party would be heavily tilted in favour of the Kapu community to which he belongs - and wants to broaden his base among all sections, according to his confidants.

Chiranjeevi is obtaining feedback on the Telangana issue. He wants to speak in support of Statehood when he goes ahead with his political plans, they said. "When people strongly want Telangana state, how can we oppose it," the confidants quoted Chiranjeevi as saying.

Chiranjeevi is weighing his options as there is no considerable anti-incumbency against the Congress. There is also no support for the Telugu Desam.

When N.T. Rama Rao launched the Telugu Desam in 1982, all the Opposition parties supported it as they badly wanted a formidable alternative to the Congress. The scenario is different now.

"He may not get a landslide victory but nevertheless Chiranjeevi expects that he can emerge as a powerful force," his aides said. The CPI and the CPI(M) had earlier announced that they would welcome Chiranjeevi if he came out with a political plan.