Pawan Kalyan hints at JSP-BJP-TDP alliance in AP, feigns ignorance about TDP-BJP rift

NEW DELHI: Jana Sena Party (JSP) President Pawan Kalyan, who was in the country's capital on Tuesday to participate in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting, hinted at the chances of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and JSP alliance in Andhra Pradesh in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Speaking to media in New Delhi, Pawan Kalyan reiterated that he was committed to ensuring the anti-YSRCP vote was not split in Andhra Pradesh. “There is an urgent need for the opposition parties to unite and fight collectively to dethrone YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP from power in the upcoming elections. Otherwise, YS Jagan would return to power, which will push the state back into darkness,” Pawan Kalyan said.

On the issue between the TDP and the BJP, the JSP Chief said that he was unaware of the differences between both the parties. However, he believed that the TDP and the BJP would definitely contest unitedly in the elections. Referring to the alliances with the TDP and the BJP, Pawan Kalyan said, “The JSP worked with the TDP in the 2014 Assembly elections and parted ways in 2019. In 2020, the JSP and the BJP joined hands with the same ideology to dethrone YS Jagan from power.”

Commenting on the Chief Ministerial candidate for the probable alliance of TDP and JSP, Pawan Kalyan said that decisions would be taken based on the parties' strengths at grassroots levels. “It is not a major issue as to who will become the next Chief Minister for Andhra Pradesh. A clarity on the Chief Ministerial candidate will emerge only after the election results. Our priority is to dethrone YSRCP from power and develop the State on all fronts. However, the JSP cadre are aspiring me as the Chief Minister,” Pawan Kalyan said.

Lashing out at the YSRCP for its failures in the last four years' rule in Andhra Pradesh, the JSP Chief said that YS Jagan had utterly failed on all fronts in providing basic infrastructure in the State. The employees were vexed against the YSRCP Government as they were made to wait for their salaries, arrears, and other benefits. Contractors were not in a position to take up the development works in the State due to delay in clearing the pending bills for them, he observed.

Pawan Kalyan also said that JSP was questioning the failures of the YSRCP Government, apart from gathering public support. The actor-turned-politician pointed out that insecurity and law and order problems were increasing in Andhra Pradesh. He alleged that YS Jagan and the volunteer system were gathering the entire data of people of the State, especially women, with the Field Operations Agency (FOA), based at Nanakramguda in Hyderabad. The JSP Chief also demanded an explanation from YS Jagan and an intensive probe into that organisation and collection of sensitive data of the State.