Will actor Chiranjeevi take a second plunge in politics?

A hotly debated topic in Andhra Pradesh is about who will take up the Rajya Sabha seat that is lying vacant post the unexpected resignation of YSR Congress Party’s (YSRCP) senior leader, Vijay Sai Reddy.

A Chartered Accountant by profession, Reddy has played a key role in the party ever since its inception in 2011 and was largely seen as the party’s representative in Delhi. A close associate of former CM YS Jagan Mohan, Reddy said he would not be able to justify his role as an MP, benefiting either the state or the party, due to changing political landscape in the country. He said he will pursue agriculture since he wanted to exit active politics.

This triggered a wide range of speculations on the ‘actual’ reasons behind his action. A section of political analysts strongly feel that BJP is behind the move. There are various indications for this as Reddy was known to be close to the BJP high command. After his resignation, he thanked Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi.

The past precedents also support this theory as three Rajya Sabha MP’s from YSRCP have resigned after the party lost power in the assembly elections held in 2024. Among the three seats, one went to BJP while the other two were occupied by TDP in the re-election. While interacting with the media, Reddy admitted that he knows that his party won't benefit from the resignation and the NDA will grab the seat. So why did he resign when he had more than three years left to complete the term?

YSRCP’s strength in Rajya Sabha has dwindled to seven from 11 with the latest development. Reddy has been in the dock ever since the TDP-led alliance came to power in Andhra Pradesh. He is facing accusations of amassing land banks in the coastal city of Vizag for which he has acted as an in-charge of the party in the past. He is also named as one of the accused by the state CID in the Kakinada seaports case and was probed by the ED recently in connection with the case. The allegation against him is that he had coerced a businessman to transfer shares of his company to the firm owned by his relatives.

Responding to a question by a mediaperson on whether he was looking for some relief from cases in return for resignation, Reddy denied any wrongdoing, saying he was unafraid of facing cases or jail. This episode has put spotlight on actor Chiranjeevi who is possibly toying with the idea of taking up the real-life role of a politician, one more time.

Some sources within BJP share that Chiranjeevi might take up the offer of the saffron party to get elected as a Rajya Sabha member and strengthen the party in Andhra Pradesh. The party is keen on increasing its tally in Rajya Sabha and may not forgo this seat to the TDP. And given the fact that actor Pawan Kalyan, who is the younger brother of Chiranjeevi, is BJP’s closest ally, the move will further cement the bond between the parties.

Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena is part of the AP government. Additionally, the BJP is also factoring in the benefit of catering to the Kapu community vote bank, a significant block in AP. There are also murmurs within political circles that Chiranjeevi might be elevated to the post of a Union minister after he accepts the Rajya Sabha offer, as he did in the past. Chiranjeevi debuted as a politician in 2008 launching a party named ‘Praja Rajyam’ and contested the assembly elections held in 2009. His party managed to send 18 MLAs to the 294-strong assembly. After two years, he decided to merge his party with the Congress, following which he accepted a Rajya Sabha seat and a Union minister of state post in the UPA II government.

The question is whether the actor will take the plunge again after remaining dormant in politics for almost a decade. Chiranjeevi’s decision has the power to disturb political equations in AP politics. If he gets politically active via BJP, then the brother-duo of Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan will emerge as a power centre posing a challenge to Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP which has the upper hand as of now, enjoying the single largest party in the state assembly.

With Chiranjeevi on their side, the BJP may also try to expand aggressively in the state with an eye on 2029 elections, which may not go down well with its political partner, TDP. Even if the seat is offered to any other senior leader within the BJP, it is an indication by the saffron party to the TDP that they are on their path to increase their strength without relying much on their regional partner. In case, the seat goes into the kitty of the TDP, then it would demonstrate that TDP is still in the driver’s seat. A lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat in AP has the power to dictate the future political discourse in AP.