Pawan Kalyan flatters BJP, says Jana Sena open to alliances

JAGTIAL: Jana Sena President Pawan Kalyan did not eschew his romance with political intrigue even on an auspicious day for him and his Jana Sainiks. The actor-turned-politician on Tuesday visited the famous Kondagattu Temple in Jagtial district and worshipped presiding deity Anjanna before performing pooja for his campaign chariot ‘Varahi’.

Even as the ritual went on amid the usual fanfare and boisterously cheering supporters, Pawan Kalyan announced that his party was still in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and expressed his readiness to sail with any party that comes along. His latest assertion comes at a time he and his party was increasingly seen gravitating towards the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at the expense of the BJP.

Speaking to the media, Pawan Kalyan showed his mood to flatter and cajole the BJP in an apparent attempt to play the balancing act. He also said that his party would be open to forging alliances with newer forces. But, in the same breath, he quipped that Jana Sena would not mind going it alone regardless of any party joining forces with it or not.

The Jana Sena chief also sidestepped a pointed question on the timing of the electoral alliances with a generic answer. He said that it was too early to talk about it and that alliances were usually worked out only when the elections were round the corner. He reiterated his most common refrain as the bottomline, saying that the anti-incumbency vote of the YSRCP should be allowed to split.

Pawan Kalyan also welcomed the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) looking to expand its footprints beyond Telangana. At the same time, he was unsure of how much impact he and his party could cast in Telangana in the next elections.

He singled out Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP president YS Jaganmohan Reddy for issuing the controversial GO No.1, which, he claimed, was intended at curbing the fundamental right of political parties to hold public meetings.

On the speculation that BJP’s former Andhra Pradesh president Kanna Lakshminarayana was leaning towards the Jana Sena, he used ‘coalition dharma’ as the ruse to evade a direct answer. He merely stated that since BJP and Jana Sena were in alliance, it would not be appropriate for him to speak about it. He however expressed his reverence for Kanna Lakshminarayana.