HYDERABAD: President of erstwhile Prajarajyam Party and now union tourism minister Chiranjeevi has urged his MLAs from the Seemandhra region to not take a hasty decision about quitting the Congress. He asked all of them to participate in the T-debate and express their views on the provisions of the bill. He also told them that quitting the party at a critical time was bad politics.

In a hurriedly organised luncheon meeting of Seemandhra PRP comrades, he inquired from them if the talk of some MLAs and minister quitting the Congress was true. The meeting was held amid speculations that former PRP MLAs, especially the Kapus from coastal Andhra, have been in touch with the Telugu Desam Party leaders.

According to sources, Chiranjeevi was worried that ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who is touted to be a the close friend of Chiranjeevi, had entered into a pact with TDP to get MLA tickets to all four erstwhile PRP MLAs from Vizag district. Among others M Sridhar Krishna Reddy, Thota Trimurthulu and Kothapalli Subbrayudu also said to have been in touch with TDP.

All 15 MLAs present in the meeting narrated how the image of Congress had fallen in the eye of people in the region.

They urged their leader to again take their concern to the Centre about the negative fall out of the proposed division of the state.