Mega star and PRP founder-turned congress leader Mr Chiranjeevi is a worried man today. His word in congress party is carrying no weight and he is finding it difficult to please his staunch followers as congress leaders are vetoing his recommendations for political appointments and government nominated posts in the districts.

The Guntur district congress leaders have turned down a Chiranjeevi suggestion to appoint former MLA and district PRP convener Mr. L. Eswara Rao or former bureaucrat T V Rao as the chairman of the Guntur agriculture market committee (chilli yard).

When Chiru requested the Chief Minister Kirankumar reddy to finalize one of the two names for the post ahead of his tour in the district tomorrow, the CM was said to have asked him to come out with other names as three ministers from the district have vetoed the names.

The chilli yard brings about a whopping Ra.150 Cr turnover every year and Ministers want their candidates as the head of the cash rich organization. While Chiranjeevi is unable to name other candidates, the district ministers have already started lobbying for their candidates, according to sources.

While Eswara Rao had developed differences with Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana over the years, Mr TV Rao, another candidate recommended by Chiranjeevi, is facing serious allegations of misuse of funds allocated to his NGO. Rao is involved in some other controversies also, according to sources.

Kanna Lakshminarayana is supporting the candidature of Vysya leader Paduchuri Venkateswarlu, who was the vice-chairman of the chilli yard earlier. Minister from the district Mr Manikya Varaprasad is seeking the post for a Dalit leader while another Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana has recommended the name of former district Youth Congress president Vanukuri Srinivasa Reddy.

Srinivasa Reddy has the support of all district congress leaders including cooperation minister Kasu Krishna Reddy, former minister Gade Venkata Reddy and some legislators.

The district Congress leaders don’t want a PRP man in the post. “The suggestion of the congress leaders to Chiranjeevi to come up with some other names is only pretext,” said some sources.