The facilitators are making efforts to bring in a rapproachment between the Congress and Praja Rajyam party by offering one Rajya Sabha seat to the Praja Rajyam party which does not have any representative either in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.
With Rajya Sabha elections round the corner, the mediators are working relentlessly to bring both the parties together so that the Congress can counter the stiff opposition from Telugu Desam in the days ahead.
In so far as the Congress is concerned, it is sure of gaining three RS seats and these mediators are offering one seat to PRP. In fact, the three RS seats are not adequate for the Congress needs, but the senior Congress leaders feel that by offering a seat to Chiranjeevi, the Congress would gain the much-needed support to counter the TDP in the forthcoming local body elections.
In the next couple of years, the state is set to face elections to the local bodies – municipalities, municipal corporations and panchayatraj bodies. With the present state of affairs, it is difficult for the Congress to face the challenge of the Telugu Desam and the Left parties alone so as to counter the might of the TDP and Left parties.
The Congress would be able to save its face only if the party has either a tie-up or merger with the PRP. Given the present political scenario, Chiranjeevi would be the best bet for the Congress to face the next round of elections. It is against this background, that the political mediators are lobbying with the Congress High Command to leave one RS seat for the PRP and have a tie-up with Chiranjeevi.