BJP stitches alliance with Pawan Kalyan's JanaSena in Andhra Pradesh

Slowly and steadily, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to gain political ground in Andhra Pradesh. In an important political development in Vijayawada, the JanaSena Party, founded by actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, announced a tie-up with BJP. This political realignment brings back both BJP and JanaSena in reckoning while the ruling YSRCP and the main opposition TDP remain the main political forces in the state.

At a meeting held between top leaders of Janasena and the BJP, JanaSena President Pawan Kalyan announced "unconditional support'' to the BJP. Since morning top leaders of two parties discussed the modalities and announced the tie-up late in the afternoon. Recently, Janasena's Pawan Kalyan had met BJP national working president J.P.Nadda.

Interestingly, the JanaSena Party which was founded in March 2014 by Pawan Kalyan, a top Telugu films hero and brother of Megastar Chiranjeevi, had supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi and TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu in 2014 General Elections held both for Lok Sabha as well as for the state for the first time after bifurcation. 

However, in 2019 General Elections, Janasena contested on its own and could manage only two assembly seats while Pawan Kalyan lost from both the seats he had contested. Also, Janasena's tie-up with Mayawati's BSP did not yield desired results.

"We were working on this tie-up for quite some time now. Our tie-up is aimed at 2024 elections in the state because both ruling YSRCP and the TDP are just indulging in political fight with each other ignoring development of the state,'' said Kanna Laxminarayana, AP BJP President.

On the other hand, Pawan Kalyan said that right from 2014 he was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We have studied CAA in depth and found merit in the Act. We feel BJP is doing many things in the interest of the nation and we have no hesitation in joining hands with BJP,'' informed Pawan Kalyan.

The ruling YSRCP has reacted sharply to this new development. ``Pawan Kalyan doesn't have political stablility. Earlier, he was BJP and TDP then he went on his own and again coming back to BJP. This is just a political opportunism,'' charged Ambati Rambabu, spokesman and YSRCP MLA.

Meanwhile, a coordination committee between these two parties was mooted to chalk out future course of action.