21 August,2011 07:54 AM IST | | Correspondent
Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi, who had merged his Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress in February earlier this year, on Saturday formally joined the party and hailed Rahul Gandhi as the country's "ray of hope" and future prime minister saying that he has inherited the "qualities and passion" of his father Rajiv Gandhi, whose birth anniversary was celebrated on Saturday.
Chiranjeevi, who led the PRP in Andhra Pradesh, filled up a form seeking primary membership of the Congress at a function at the AICC headquarters in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders.
General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad,u00a0 hailed the move as one that will help the party gain popularity in southern India.
