Assets of Chiranjeevi can be accessed through RTI

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Inspired by Kalam, Chiranjeevi enters politics
by Ashok Das, Hyderabad, August 17, 2008

Popular actor Chiranjeevi on Sunday formally announced his entry into
politics, with assembly polls just eight months away.

Telugu cinema's highest-paid actor held forth on a wide range of
subjects for over an hour at his first media interaction. He handled
uncomfortable questions with élan and his replies gave nothing away,
something unexpected from a political greenhorn.

The 53-year-old said he was inspired by former President A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam to join politics. There was a political vacuum in the state,
which he hoped to fill. "I would have committed a historical blunder
had I not entered politics," he said, adding the system was not as
polluted "as we" think.

The name of the party, its flag and its agenda will be unveiled at the
party's first public meeting at Tirupati on August 26.

Thanking his well-wishers, the actor said he would try to remove the
sufferings of the poor. Pro-poor policies and social justice will be
the party's main agenda, he said.

Chiranjeevi said electoral tie-ups would be considered later and
claimed he had no enemies. "My main enemies are poverty and
backwardness. I will fight against them." He said the people would
decide his role after elections. He was vague about which constituency
he would contest from.

He said he wasn't quitting films but was open to only educational and
meaningful ones. On declaring his assets, the actor said he had filed
his income tax returns and it could be accessed with the help of the
RTI act.

State politics has largely remained bipolar and the new party is
expected to cause an exodus from both the Congress and the TDP.
Even as Chiranjeevi held forth his views, Congress MP Ch Harirama
Jogiah resigned and said he would join the new party, criticising the
way the Congress was run by chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy.

Inspired by Kalam, Chiranjeevi enters politics- Hindustan Times