Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party to contest all seats in AP

Suresh Dharur

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Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, May 4

Actor-turned politician Pawan Kalyan, who has emerged as a key player in Andhra Pradesh politics with Assembly elections less than a year away, has said his Jana Sena Party would contest all 175 Assembly constituencies in the state.

“We are working on a strong plan to build committees from booth level across all 13 districts. We will contest all the seats,” the 46-year-old film star said.

Pawan, who is the younger brother of megastar Chiranjeevi, said he would tour the state from May 11, primarily focusing on the denial of special category status to the state.

“Political power is now in the hands of a few and the fruits of development are not reaching the common man. Our party is the voice of the common man,” he said.

The maverick star with a massive following among the youth is known for his impulsive ways and outspoken views. He floated “Jana Sena” Party in March 2014 but has been largely inactive and reclusive since then. Barring a few public appearances in support of certain public issues, he kept himself busy with shooting assignments.

In the run-up to the 2014 elections, the mercurial star had supported the NDA, saying he was a big fan of Narendra Modi. He had even campaigned for the BJP-Telugu Desam Party combine, a factor that played a key role in the TDP, headed by N Chandrababu Naidu, coming to power in Andhra Pradesh.

However, in his renewed political avatar, Pawan Kalyan has been critical of both the BJP and TDP on the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh which suffered huge loss after bifurcation.

However, the question being asked in political circles is whether he will be a hit at political box office or end up like his elder brother Chiranjeevi whose tryst with politics was a big flop show. Chiranjeevi had floated “Praja Rajyam” party in the run-up to the 2009 elections but it failed to make much impact at the hustings. He had subsequently merged his party with the Congress and became a Rajya Sabha member.