Hyderabad, Oct 25 : Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) Sunday received another jolt when a key leader, K. S. R. Murthy, quit the party.

Murthy, a former MP who played a key role in the formation of the PRP last year, met the Congress party's state unit president D. Srinivas, setting the stage for his entry into the ruling Congress party.

Murthy later told reporters that he had faxed his resignation letter to PRP president Chiranjeevi. He also announced that he would be joining the Congress party on Nov 1.

He said despite the glamour, Chiranjeevi failed to build the PRP into a formidable political force. He alleged that the election funds which were collected by the party were not spent on the campaigning, resulting in the defeat of the party's candidates.

Murthy, who was the guiding force behind the party in the initial days and was also convener of the party's manifesto committee, was sulking ever since the party's defeat in this year's elections.

The PRP won only 18 assembly seats in the 294-member house and drew a blank in the Lok Sabha elections.

Several key leaders of the party have quit ever since the poll debacle. Chiranjeevi's close aide P. S. Mitra and former minister T. Devender Goud were among those who resigned while many others distanced themselves from the party. (IANS)