Actor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM, Pawan Kalyan, currently a very close political ally of the BJP in south India, is touring Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Despite, reportedly, facing health complications like back pain, spondylitis and viral fever in the last few days, the Founder of the Jana Sena Party readied himself to go on a spiritual tour that would cover a dozen temples spread across two states.
Pawan Kalyan was conspicuous by his absence at an important meeting of the secretaries and ministers on Tuesday at Amaravathi which was attended by CM N. Chandrababu Naidu. The next day, he began his three-day visit accompanied by his son, Akhira which reflected the priority he gave to the trip.
Speaking to the media persons in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Pawan Kalyan said that it was a ‘personal tour’ and there was no politics attached to it. However, it is hard to miss that both the states are all set to go for polls in the first half of next year. Tamil Nadu and Kerala also happen to be the two southern states where the BJP is aggressively trying to make inroads as it has a negligible presence compared to AP, Telangana and Karnataka.
In the general elections held in 2024, BJP managed to win a single seat in Kerala and none in Tamil Nadu. Of late, Pawan Kalyan has been carefully crafting his political image in the space of right-wing politics. Whether it is donning saffron attire from time to time or making statements on Sanathana Dharma and the need to protect temples, Pawan Kalyan is talking to audiences that are not restricted to the boundaries of the Telugu states.
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Is Pawan Kalyan following a roadmap laid down by the BJP? It may be recollected that last year, Pawan Kalyan had made a statement targeted at Tamil Nadu Deputy CM and DMK senior leader, Udayanidhi Stalin. “You cannot wipe out Sanathana Dharma,” he addressed in English to send out a clear message to Udayanaidhi whose statement had turned controversial.
During the current trip, taking advantage of his proficiency in the language, Pawan Kalyan spoke in Tamil to the reporters in Tamil Nadu. Ever since the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena Party came to power last year in AP, Pawan Kalyan has projected his independent identity and retained the image of a critic whenever the need arose.
Despite being a deputy CM, he criticised the home minister of his government a few months back on law and order issues and also directed harsh words at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) management after a stampede broke out in Tirupati leading to the death of 6 devotees.
On the other hand, the BJP is heavily relying on Pawan Kalyan given his saffron avatar and popularity across the south and the absence of mass leaders within their own party. Did the temple tour blow a poll bugle for the BJP in Kerala and Tamil Nadu? Future political developments will reveal if this is indeed the case.