Actor and Jana Sena Party (JSP) founder Pawan Kalyan has come a long way, ideology-wise, in the last one year. During the state and Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan had teamed up with the communists—CPI and CPI(M)—and endorsed the dalit cause by welcoming the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) into the alliance.
In addition to this, on many occasions, Pawan Kalyan openly professed his love for revolutionary movements and its historic figures, like Che Guevara. But 2020 is a brand-new year for Pawan Kalyan as he moves closer to the right-wing camp. Pawan Kalyan recently met BJP working president, J.P. Nadda in Delhi and apprised him on the developments in Andhra Pradesh. This will be followed by a meeting between Pawan Kalyan and top BJP state leaders in Vijayawada on Thursday. A JSP-BJP electoral alliance for the upcoming local body elections is almost sealed.
“We will make an announcement only after the meeting. A few aspects of the alliance have to be discussed. We will also explore whether we can take the same stand while fighting the YSRCP government,” said one of the senior BJP leaders who will be part of the crucial meeting.
This is not the first time that Pawan Kalyan has shown an inclination to work with the BJP. In the 2014 general elections, Pawan Kalyan supported the Telugu Desam Party-BJP alliance and backed Narendra Modi’s candidature for prime minister. The JSP has one member in the state Assembly while the BJP has none. Both the parties do not have a single MP from Andhra Pradesh.
“Both are in a negligible position. This position is an attempt to improve. If they contest in local body elections as an alliance, the numbers wont be that impressive,” said a former Jana Sena Party leader.
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For the BJP, which is trying to ramp up political activity in Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan is a popular face they are looking for. For the actor, the national party is the moral support he and his party needs at this stage to stay relevant.
Apart from having a common political foe, the ruling YSRCP, another reason that binds both the camps is the need to attract Kapu community voters. Pawan Kalyan is a Kapu, one of the largest communities in Andhra Pradesh. The BJP has been trying to woo the community and as part of this exercise, made Kanna Lakshminarayana, a Kapu, its state president. Both the parties will be hoping that this alliance will make them a formidable force. Both the parties share the same views on the Amaravati capital issue as they are opposed to shifting the state capital.
