Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena discusses Andhra Pradesh politics

Political party leaders have refrained from reacting to Pawan Kalyan’s outburst. They are still digesting his two-hour-long speech, but some say they suspect he has a hidden agenda as he did not mention whether his new outfit, the Jana Sena, will contest in the coming elections. All he said was that he would support any party that opposed the Congress.

A prominent YSRC leader and key aide of Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “Pawan only criticised the Congress and its policies and vowed to defeat the Congress in the elections. He also said he will work with any party, including with Chandrababu Naidu. We suspect that some force is behind Pawan Kalyan, driving him to support the BJP-TD combine in the elections to marginalise Jagan Mohan Reddy.”

There is speculation that Pawan’s elder brother and Union tourism minister K. Chiranjeevi may quit the Congress some time soon to join the BJP in order to ensure that the Congress is wiped out in the state.

Going by his outburst against the Congress – which he had singled out throughout his speech — and his refusal to commit himself to contesting the elections, it looks like Pawan Kalyan will confine himself to campaigning against the Congress in both Telangana and Seemandhra. This will help any major alliance against the Congress.

Though Pawan did not, directly or indirectly, criticise Mr Chandrababu Naidu, he did make sarcastic comments about Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy owning massive lands, newspapers and news channels, without naming him.

Even as Pawan Kalyan claims that he should not be identified by caste, creed, region or religion, it is unlikely that the leaders of the Kapu community, who have been retuning to the TD’s fold after Praja Rajyam’s failure, will find Pawan’s Jana Sena favourable because the actor has been non-committal about contesting the polls.

His fans are disappointed that he is not in the fray.

According to political analyst and independent MLC Prof K. Nageswar, “Pawan has failed to gain political space. His speech is most confusing. He wants to campaign against the Congress and for that he wants to work with all other parties? How is it possible? I think he will clarify his election plans soon.”

When contacted, TRS legislator K.T. Rama Rao said, “In the context of Telangana, we are absolutely indifferent to what Pawan says or what his party does. He has only exhibited his arrogance coupled with his confusing mind. We don’t want to react.”

Congress MP V. Hanumantha Rao said no one can dismantle the Congress in the country and Pawan Kalyan “is only day dreaming.”

Telangana PCC working committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Pawan’s Jana Sena party will have no impact in Telangana, while Telangana Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar said politics does not mean cine dialogues. “Pawan could not solve his own family problems. How can anyone expect him to serve the Telangana people?”