Vijayawada, January 15, 2022: Chief minister and YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is said to have offered a Rajya Sabha seat to Tollywood star and former Union minister K Chiranjeevi.
Sources close to the chief minister’s office told TOI that Jagan and Chiranjeevi discussed more about politics rather than film industry issues during their meeting here on Thursday. Jagan hosted lunch to the film star and officially the meeting was to discuss the controversy over the pricing of cinema tickets in Andhra Pradesh. Sources said Jagan offered a Rajya Sabha ticket to Chiranjeevi during the discussions.
Sources said Jagan offered a seat for Chiranjeevi. The film actor is said to have accepted the offer. While Jagan took the decision to checkmate Chiranjeevi’s brother and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan in AP politics ahead of 2024 general election, the film star is interested in coming back to politics according to the reports published in timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Sources said the chief minister had also browsed the issue of possible by-election to Narasapur Lok Sabha constituency, as its sitting member and rebel MP, Kanumuri Raghurama Krishnam Raju, is planning to quit and seek re-election. Incidentally, Narasapur is the home constituency of Chiranjeevi and he has considerable following there.
He contested unsuccessfully from Palakollu Assembly constituency in 2009, when he floated Praja Rajyam Party. He hails from Mogalthuru village of Palakollu Assembly constituency, which is part of Narasapur Lok Sabha constituency. While the chief minister proposed Chiranjeevi’s name for the by-election, it is said that the film star is interested in the Rajya Sabha seat.
Jagan is said to have finalised the candidature of his close aide, Marri Rajasekhar from Chilakaluripet in Guntur district, for another seat, while keeping his options close on the third candidate.
Rajasekhar is said to be the best choice for Jagan to be sent to the Rajya Sabha and become the voice of a strong social group in Guntur district.
