Few options before Praja Rajyam Party

If an assessment made by the senior officials in the Government is to be believed, Megastar Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) may not have anything to ‘offer’ to address the Maoist problem in the State.

The officials, who have pondered in depth, as to what stand the PRP could take on the burning Naxal issue, have informed the Government that the PRP is left with no ‘choice.’ The PRP too has so far not come out with its stand on the issue.

Top government sources told Express that Chiranjeevi had only one option — that of inviting the Maoists to the discussion table — which he has already lost to Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

After the Congress came to power, Reddy had invited Maoist leaders for talks which ultimately failed.

During the last few years, the documents seized from the Maoists stated that going to talks with the government was the ‘‘biggest strategic error’’ they had made and would never repeat the ‘mistake.’

‘‘The Chiranjeevi camp is already aware that even if it invites the Maoists for talks, the latter are simply going to turn down the proposal. The PRP camp has had several rounds of unending discussions over its stand on the Naxal issue and many in the party have opined that they are left with no choice,’’ sources disclosed, adding that the Government was aware of these developments.

They believe that the PRP is left with no option but to keep the issue hanging until elections.
Interestingly, in a document available with the police top brass, the Maoists spoke about the popularity of Chiranjeevi, indicating that they were looking forward for the PRP to come to power, while lashing out at the TDP and the Congress.

They probably are not aware of the fact that Chiranjeevi has nothing to offer to them and would remain quiet till the elections are over and then might take a stand.

Meanwhile, inputs trickling in from the Maoist-infested Andhra-Orissa-Border suggest that the extremists are planning a major operation in the State, especially Visakhapatnam, before the elections.