Praja Rajyam

Sircilla (AP) (PTI): Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi on Thursday virtually endorsed the demand for separate Telangana state, though he stopped short of announcing his party’s stand on the issue. Kicking off the second leg of his mass-contact programme from this  handloom hub in the Telangana heartland, the Praja Rajyam party founder said he understood the sentiments of the people and their desire. “I don’t have any personal agenda. People’s agenda is my agenda. I can understand the heartbeat of the people of Telangana. I honour the self-respect of the people of the region,” he said, addressing a road show here. Amid cheers from the large gathering, the megastar said he would spell out his party’s stand on the statehood issue before completion of his present leg of tour. “I will not leave Telangana without spelling out my stand on the most-awaited issue,” Chiranjeevi said. The second round of his tour would cover Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts over the next eight days in Telangana region. Without naming any one, he hit out at political parties for exploiting the innocence of Telangana people for their advantage. Chiranjeevi’s tour in Telangana is keenly watched in political circles as his stand on the statehood demand is expected to impact the outcome of the next year’s assembly elections.Since Telangana has emerged as a key issue ahead of polls, the megastar’s position will influence the nature of alliances in the region.