'Chiru will shine in politics'

HYDERABAD: It is no longer a question of whether he will, but when Chiranjeevi will take the plunge. With no confirmed answers, political observers are looking around for answers and in this scenario those speculating are having a field day. One school of thought suggests that the matinee idol will announce his entry, the moment the one month quiet period after his father's death gets over. That would mean around January 23. With Republic Day around the corner, some analysts feel that could be the day when the actor will announce his entry." Since Chiranjeevi is talking of a new age politics, January 26 could be the right day to signal the entry," said an analyst. There is a lot of talk about an astrologer Damodar from Chennai who is supposed to have advised Chiranjeevi about the "right entry" date. Damodar confirmed to The Times Of India that he did visit Hyderabad lately, but denied having met the megastar or his family members. But in the same vein he added: "He may be non-committal about joining politics, but he surely will. His Sun is well-placed and he will shine in politics." Meanwhile, information trickling out of the Chiranjeevi household suggests that his backroom boys are strategising on the filmstar's mode of entry. Sources say that while a huge number of Kapu leaders and youths are ready to jump on to the Chiranjeevi bandwagon, the actor himself would caution them not to overplay the caste angle. Moreover he would rather have leaders and youth from other castes joining his party first and the Kapus later. "However such is the enthusiasm amongst his caste members in coastal Andhra, that the appeal of Chiranjeevi is likely to fall on deaf ears," an analyst said. Meanwhile sources also aver that Chiranjeevi has actually been waiting for resolution of the Telangana problem before entering politics. "He did not want to be caught in the cross-fire but his daughter's eloping seems to have propelled him to take a decision to jump into politics even before the Telangana affair is set to rest," a source said.