Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi has chosen the sun as the election symbol for his Praja Rajyam Party. The Election Commission of India today issued the orders, allotting the new symbol to the 11-month-old party.
The PRP had contested the recent Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, using the 'Rail Engine" as the symbol, for which it had fought hard. But disappointed with the party's electoral performance, in which his party won only 18 assembly seats, the megastar decided to change the symbol.
"The party suffered badly because of the similarity between the symbols of rail engine and road roller, which was allotted to other candidates," Chiranjeevi said, justifying the decision to seek a new symbol.
PRP was recognised as a state party by the Election Commission after the polls as it polled more than 15 per cent of popular votes. In its petition to the Election Commission, the party had suggested cart wheel and two leaves as alternative symbols.
The party will very soon have an opportunity to test whether the symbol of sun helps it in garnering votes, during the upcoming polls for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
