Second, leaders of other parties, who have either quit or have been expelled, are publicly embracing the party and inadvertently giving it a bad image that it is accumulating political discards.

Analysts say that for a party that aims to be different and promises to bring in a new brand of politics, the emanating signals don’t bode well.

However, if Chiranjeevi’s intentions of launching himself late are compared to N T R’s launch of the TDP, it makes some sense. The charismatic NTR launched the TDP on March 29, 1982 and became chief minister of Andhra Pradesh within 10 months, on January 9, 1983.

Padma Bhushan and winner of three Filmfare awards, Chiranjeevi is one of the highest paid actors in the country and has acted in 150-odd films. Some of his films like Mutamestri, Indra, and Stalin, in which he plays the roles of an honest politician, have fired the imagination of his fans who are now demanding that he play those roles in real life as well.

In anticipation, fans clubs have come up in villages as well as at the state-level. Thousands of his fans have already “joined” the yet-to-be-named and yet-to-be-launched party.

There are dozens of websites like Jaichiru.com and blogs on Chiranjeevi where fans have urged people to join online petitions, signature campaigns and write letters to the megastar, requesting him not to delay his entry into politics anymore.

On June 28, the star’s fans took out a 76 km motorcycle rally in Cuddapah district to express their support. Chiru volunteers have started preparing voters’ lists and banners with images of the megastar and state’s map in the background.

... contd.