Chiranjeevi, Cong to discuss RS polls

Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi is expected to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi today, raising hopes of an alliance between the two parties in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh.

Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi is expected to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday, raising hopes of an alliance between the two parties in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh.

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The actor-turned politician is expected to hold a series of meetings with senior Congress leaders like Law Minister Veerappa Moily and Congress President's political secretary Ahmad Patel. He is likely to call on Gandhi.

"I have come with an open mind to Delhi to hold consultations with Congress leadership on the Rajya Sabha elections," he told reporters in New Delhi.

The Congress high command had invited Chiranjeevi for talks in New Delhi. PRP had recently announced that it would contest the Rajya Sabha elections.

The elections to six Rajya Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh would be held on June 11 following the retirement of five Congress members -- Union Minister of State for Environment Jairam Ramesh, J D Seelam, V Hanumantha Rao, Girish Sanghi and Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy -- besides CPM's Penuballi Madhu.

The Congress, which has 156 members in the state Assembly, will get a minimum of three Rajya Sabha seats, while Telugu Desam Party, with 91 MLAs, will get two.

PRP has 17 MLAs, of which two from Telangana turned rebels after Chiranjeevi declared his support to united Andhra Pradesh. His party requires the support of at least 42 MLAs to get its candidate elected to the Rajya Sabha.