Majority of PRP leaders favour merger with Congress

Hyderabad, Feb 3 (PTI) The Praja Rajyam Party todayapparently moved a step further towards merger with the rulingCongress party in Andhra Pradesh with majority of the leaderspreferring an amalgamation over a poll tie-up.

Majority of the PRP leaders, including MLAs, who had aone-on-one meeting with their president K Chiranjeevi tilllate in the evening were said to have favoured amalgamation ofthe party with the Congress rather than an electoral tie-up in"long-term interests."

Earlier in the day, a meeting of party MLAs, PoliticalAffairs Committee members and district unit presidents adopteda resolution authorising Chiranjeevi to take an "appropriatedecision" when he meets Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi soon.

The meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Chiranjeevi, at theinvitation of the former, is expected to take place in NewDelhi on February 7, PRP sources said.

For the record, PRP''s PAC member and former MPC Ramachandraiah said the party has decided to "work together"with the Congress to achieve its objective of social justice.

"Since the PRP does not have the strength of its own torealise the objective of social justice and uplift ofdowntrodden, we have resolved to join hands with theCongress," he told newsmen after the meeting of party MLAs andsenior leaders here this afternoon.

He, however, did not specify if working together with theCongress meant a merger. "We have authorised our president totake an appropriate decision," Ramachandraiah said.

The former MP said Chiranjeevi would meet Sonia withoutany pre-conditions since the Congress has not come up with anyoffer.

"After the meeting between the two leaders, we all willmeet here again and take a final decision," he added. (MORE)PTI DBV DKDK