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Eight seems to be the lucky and favored number of popular Telugu film star Chiranjeevi as his choice of timing to announce his party suggest. The star will make the first formal announcement of the launching of a new party on August 8 at the temple town of Kanchipraum in Tamil Nadu. The announcement will come at 8:08 am, reliable sources in the star's camp said.
However the choice of Kanchi has come as a surprise because Chiranjeevi's party is essentially a regional party meant for the Telugus.
The Mahuratam has reportedly been fixed in consultations with the astrologers and pundits. The formal announcement will be followed by a massive public meeting in Hyderabad on August 15 at the Nizam college grounds. The preparations have already begun for the show of strength and the organisers are hoping for a deluge of fans and followers of Chiranjeevi.
In a display of support and solidarity with the star, more than 5000 non-resident Indians from the United States and some others countries are also expected to attend the meeting. Already a few NRIs have reached Hyderabad and were busy in mobilizing the support for the star's proposed political party. Several associations of Telugu-speaking NRIs were making arrangements for the journey of the NRIs to Hyderabad to be present in inauguration of the new party. Some of the NRS in New Jersey also had a video conference with Naga Babu, younger brother of Chiranjeevi and a key figure in the proposed party.
The keen interest of the NRIs in Chiranjeevi's plan has not come as a surprise because the star has a big fan following among the NRIs in US cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and New Jersey.
Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi seems to be attracting retired Telugu bureaucrats. They include former IPS officer Chittur Koteshwara Rao, retried IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre Rama Rao. They held talks with some of the key figures in the actor's camp and expressed their keenness to join the party.
Rama Rao has served as the chief secretary of the Maharashtra government and also held other important post while Koteshwara Rao was the inspector general of police in Andhra Pradesh. Party sources said many other officers were also in touch with the camp.