ANDHRA: THE RISE OF A LEADER
Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan is all set to take his four-year-old party to the centre stage of state politics
Four years after he launched the Jana Sena Party (JSP), Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan is looking to manoeuvre himself into a controlling role in the politics of Andhra Pradesh. The man who charmed crowds at NDA rallies, speaking ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, is preparing to go it alone.
With less than a year before simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and the state assembly in 2019, 46-year-old PK has deliberately distanced himself from both the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the state and the BJP at the Centre. He blames both for their failure to deliver special category status (SCS) and other incentives to Andhra Pradesh. And he’s using the opportunity to be heard beyond the Kapus—his own community who comprise 27 per cent of the electorate with the power to influence outcomes in 39 of the state’s 175 assembly constituencies.
“Andhra Pradesh must get SCS,” PK asserts, accusing the TDP of playing “convenience politics” while slamming the BJP for stalling the growth of the state. He also accuses the BJP of ordering tax raids against him for speaking out. And like many before him, PK is milking the SCS issue to emotively invoke “injustice” and “Telugu pride”. Unforgiving, he charges Naidu of changing “Andhra Pradesh into Corruption Pradesh”, and is equally virulent in his attack of the Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress for remaining silent on serious issues affecting the state.
PK is looking to expand his numbers by offering easy entry into his fledgling party through a missed call. To young voters, he’s promising “more preference for fresh blood”, and vows to offer himself for punishment if he fails to perform.
“I am neither a rightist nor a leftist, but on a mission propelled by people to bring about social change,” the actor-politician is saying to his swelling audiences across the state.
To underscore the seriousness of his political enterprise, the JSP chief says he will put his acting career on the backburner. Given that movies are his primary source of income, PK will perhaps look for a less ‘involved’ role as producer. But until the elections, for sure, he proposes a long absence from film sets and studios.
With the flair of a seasoned leader, PK is cautioning his followers not to fall into the “TDP trap” by indulg-
Keenly aware that he risks splitting the spoils with the YSR Congress, PK accuses the opposition party of collusion
ing in undue criticism of OBCs (other backward castes). In fact, the JSP has issued guidelines on how to engage with people during political debates. “Let the counter-attack come from a place of deep commitment, which wishes for the well-being of society. Every word should be weighed and measured,” he has told his cadres.
Keenly aware that he risks splitting the spoils with the YSR Congress, PK unsparingly accuses the opposition party of collusion. He wants to know why the YSRC Rajya Sabha member V. Vijay Sai Reddy could walk in to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi while the chief minister was rebuffed 29 times.
The groundswell of support for PK and the JSP, analysts say, could actually trip the ruling TDP in its bid to retain office. And though PK rules out any deals with the BJP until the state’s demands are met, his JSP could well emerge the kingmaker if it wins close to 50 assembly seats next year. Analysts say there’s no way to predict post-poll realignments.