VZCZCXYZ1166
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCG #0081/01 0650719
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050719Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL CHENNAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1517
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3005
RUEHCG/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS CHENNAI 000081 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IN
 
SUBJECT: FILM STAR SET TO SHAKE UP ANDHRA PRADESH POLITICS 
 
REF: A) CHENNAI 028 B) 2007 CHENNAI 640 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Andhra Pradesh's media is rife with rumors that 
Telugu film superstar Chiranjeevi is set to form his own political 
party.  With an enormous and dedicated fan base the action hero will 
immediately be a force to be reckoned with.  In a recent meeting 
with Consulate officers, Chiranjeevi strongly hinted that he would 
run for public office while refusing to definitively say he would do 
so.  Andhra Pradesh state elections will be held in May 2009, and it 
seems that Chiranjeevi is planning to follow in the footsteps of 
another Telugu film star -- NT Rama Rao -- who in 1983 handed the 
Congress party its first defeat in the state less than a year after 
entering politics himself.  Chiranjeevi's entry into politics could 
scramble the state's politics and impact the United Progressive 
Alliance's chances to hold onto to its large share of Andhra 
Pradesh's 42 parliamentary seats in upcoming national elections. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
ANDHRA PRADESH'S MATINEE IDOL THINKING ABOUT POLITICS 
--------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Chiranjeevi (actual name Konidella Sivasankara Varaprasad) 
has been a superstar in the Telugu language film industry since the 
early 1980s.  One of India's highest paid actors, he has more than 
140 films to his credit.  He has crossed over to Hindi-language 
Bollywood films and has been awarded the 'Padma Bhushan,' India's 
third highest civilian honor.  It is difficult to overstate 
Chiranjeevi's popularity in his native Andhra Pradesh.  Rumors that 
Chiranjeevi planned to enter politics have periodically surfaced for 
years.  The intensity of the rumors picked up in 2007 and people 
close to the actor told the media that he was considering whether to 
take the plunge. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On January 23 the actor met with Consulate officers while 
visiting to renew his visa.  Chiranjeevi said that he has been 
thinking of forming his own political party in light of "demands" by 
his fans he do so.  Although he was coy, saying he had not made up 
his mind (and assiduously refusing to make any definitive statement 
on the matter), he gave strong indications that he is moving 
forward.  Chiranjeevi told us that that his surrogates are surveying 
the political scene and to expect an announcement in April or May. 
He mentioned that in a recent visit to the U.S. he met with 
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  When we responded that 
Governor Schwarzenegger was a good person for him to talk with about 
successfully transitioning from film to politics, Chiranjeevi simply 
smiled.  (NOTE:  Chiranjeevi also told us that Governor 
Schwarzenegger, whose plans to visit India in late 2007 were 
postponed, plans to visit Hyderabad in March or April.  END NOTE.) 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On February 11 Pol/Econoff met with Chiranjeevi again. 
Chiranjeevi appeared distraught and explained that one of his fans 
had committed suicide.  The fan left a note saying he killed himself 
because he could no longer stand waiting for his hero to decide 
whether to enter politics.  Chiranjeevi said "many people are 
counting on me."  He added that he will decide "very soon."  When 
asked whether there is sufficient time between now and the 2009 
state elections for him to create a political party that would be 
competitive with the ruling Congress and the opposition Telugu Desam 
Party (TDP), Chiranjeevi tellingly referred to NTR -- the 
affectionate nickname of NT Rama Rao the Telugu film star turned 
politician who founded the TDP in 1982.  Chiranjeevi pointed out 
that NTR was able to become the first non-Congress Chief Minister of 
Andhra Pradesh less than a year after announcing his decision to 
form the TDP. 
 
ANDHRA PRADESH'S OWN SCHWARZENEGGER? 
--------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Between his massive fan base and NTR's phenomenal 
political rise in the 1980s, the prospect of Chiranjeevi getting 
into politics has fueled speculation that the actor could be the 
next Chief Minister.  A businessman and Chiranjeevi supporter was 
confident that Chiranjeevi would be able to assembly an outright 
majority if he decides to run.  He said caste considerations favor 
Chiranjeevi, who hails from the numerically strong Kappu community. 
The Kappus, who have long been politically marginalized, will 
readily line up behind the actor.  Chiranjeevi, he said, will also 
draw votes from Other Backward Caste (OBC) communities aside from 
the Kappus.  Other contacts agree that caste considerations favor 
Chiranjeevi and add that his film star popularity will also help. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) But political analysts have their doubts about the 
comparisons between Chiranjeevi and NTR.  First, they say that 
although Chiranjeevi is extremely popular, he does not have NTR's 
stature.  NTR, they note, played the role of numerous Hindu gods in 
his films where Chiranjeevi is simply an action star.  They add that 
NTR founded the TDP at the height of discontent with more than 
thirty years of uninterrupted Congress control of the state; 
Chiranjeevi enters politics after almost two decades of frequent 
changes of power between Congress and the TDP.  They also note that 
NTR came to power by promoting populist programs (especially a 
hugely popular two rupees per kilogram of rice offer) but that 
Chiranjeevi will not be able to best Congress on this front as 
current Chief Minister YSR Reddy (Congress) is the epitome of 
populism, having implemented a dizzying array of programs for the 
rural poor (ref B). 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  It is an open question whether Chiranjeevi will 
be able to achieve the quick success that NTR did.  But there is no 
doubt that his entry would further scramble a political scene 
already confused by the issue of whether Andhra Pradesh's 
historically neglected Telangana region should become a separate 
state (ref A).  Given the caste considerations and Chiranjeevi's 
huge fan base, we think that he has the potential to have a big 
impact on the state-level elections, especially if he is able to 
pull in as many TDP and Congress party defectors as his surrogates 
tell us they expect to draw.  Still, it is far too early to say 
whether he could actually become Chief Minister.  It will be hard 
for him to win or get through electoral alliances the 148 out of 294 
seats in the state assembly he needs.  With respect to Andhra 
Pradesh's 42 parliamentary seats, Chiranjeevi evidenced little 
interest in the national political scene in our conversations with 
him, focusing singularly on the possibility of being Chief Minister. 
 History dictates that his fledgling party will need to join with 
one of the national political alliances in order to be competitive 
for parliamentary seats.  For the time being, he is saying that he 
will not join with Congress, TDP, or the Bharatiya Janata Party. 
But, if he does ultimately jump into politics, that position will 
have to change as the parliamentary elections draw near.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
HOPPER