PRP chief and mega star Chiranjeevi, who announced the merger of his party with congress in Delhi after a meeting with congress Chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday, has been offering the moon to his MLAs to keep his flock together till the merger officially materializes on February 14.

Learning the tricks of the trade from senior congressmen in Delhi from the likes of the veterans Pranab Mukherjee and Veerappa Moily, Chiru has become aware that his men may be poached by the men of the former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan reddy who can throw the plans of the congress and Chiru out of gear with his money power.

The problem for Chiru is that out of the 18 MLAs including himself, two-thirds of the MLAs equaling to 12 should vote for the merger for its official recognition as per the provisions of the anti-defection law.

If 12 members agree for the merger, they will move to congress benches and become part of the treasury benches. The remaining 6 members will become unattached members in the event of their opposition to the merger. If all the members agree, that would be smooth sailing for Chiru to effect the merger.

However, if the party president or the legislature party leader lodges a complaint that some members of the party are resorting to anti party activities, the Chair (Speaker or Deputy Speaker) will have to seriously examine the issue. If the allegations are proved, such members are liable for disqualification.

The PRP MLAs, being aware of these provisions, are seeking written assurances from the party president that they would be accommodated as ministers or chairmen of the corporations. This has really brought new headaches for Chiranjeevi who thought the merger process would be smooth and calm.

“Who will take care of us after the merger? We are seeking assurances before the merger for that simple reason,” said one PRP MLA.