Chiranjeevi's brother Pavan Kalyan to launch political party

Actor and Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi’s brother Pawan Kalyan is all set to take a political plunge by launching his own party here on March 14.

Sources said that the new outfit, to be named “Jana Sena” (People's Army), is expected to field candidates both in Telangana as well as Seemandhra regions. Fondly called “Power Star” by his fans, the 42-year-old actor is expected to unveil his party’s policies and programmes on Friday.

Kalyan is likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from two constituencies: Malkajgiri in the city and Kakinada in the coastal region. “The main objective of the new party is to strive for honesty, integrity and genuine service in public life. It will promise corruption-free and responsive governance,” sources said.

Rumoured to be among the highest paid actors along with Mahesh Babu, NTR Junior and Nagarjuna, Kalyan and his elder brother Chiranjeevi are said to be at loggerheads.
Known for his mercurial temperament and penchant for turning into a  recluse, Kalyan, however, has a huge fan following and a string of mega hits, including the recent blockbuster “Gabbar Singh”.

The actor is said to be unhappy with the way Chiranjeevi handled his political career and is strongly opposed to the policies of the ruling Congress.

Chiranjeevi, adored in film circles as the “megastar”, had a disastrous political show and ended up merging his three-year-old Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) with the Congress in June 2011 in return for a Central cabinet berth for himself and positions of power for his close aides in the state.

After floating PRP in 2008 as an alternative to the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party on the plank of “social justice”, he failed to convert his star power into votes. As a result, the party failed at the ballot box in the 2009 elections, drawing blank in the Lok Sabha while managing to win just 18 seats in the 294-member Assembly.