The Andhra Pradesh government is reportedly considering appointing megastar Konidela Chiranjeevi as the state’s official brand ambassador as part of its efforts to strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s image and promote tourism, investment and industrial development.
According to sources, the proposal is modelled on Gujarat’s successful tourism campaign, in which Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan served as the state’s brand ambassador and played a key role in enhancing its national and international profile.
The Andhra Pradesh government is now exploring a similar strategy by leveraging Chiranjeevi’s immense popularity and pan-Indian appeal to showcase the state’s strengths.
If the proposal is finalised, Chiranjeevi is expected to represent Andhra Pradesh at major promotional events, campaigns and investment summits. He may also help attract domestic and foreign investments and promote tourism.
Sources said preliminary consultations on the proposal have already been completed and that an official announcement from the government is likely in the coming days.
The development is politically significant, as Chiranjeevi has largely stayed away from active politics for more than a decade.
The Telugu cinema icon entered politics in 2008 by launching the Praja Rajyam Party ahead of the 2009 Assembly elections.
Although the Praja Rajyam Party won only a limited number of Assembly seats, Chiranjeevi was elected as an MLA.
In 2011, the party merged with the Congress. He subsequently served as a Rajya Sabha member and later as Union Minister of State for Tourism in the UPA government led by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 and the Congress Party’s electoral decline in the state, Chiranjeevi gradually distanced himself from active politics and shifted his focus back to the film industry.
Since then, he has largely refrained from participating in day-to-day political activities, making only occasional appearances at public events.
The reported move is also noteworthy because Chiranjeevi is the elder brother of Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, whose party is a key constituent of the ruling coalition led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
While Pawan Kalyan has emerged as one of the state’s leading political figures, Chiranjeevi has consistently maintained that he has no plans to return to active politics and prefers to remain outside electoral politics.
Against this backdrop, his possible appointment as Andhra Pradesh’s official brand ambassador would mark his first formal association with the NDA government, though in a non-political and promotional role.
If Chiranjeevi accepts the proposal, the initiative is expected to focus on improving the state’s visibility, attracting investments, promoting tourism and projecting Andhra Pradesh as a preferred destination for business and economic growth.
