JSP chief Pawan Kalyan to kick off fourth phase of Vaarahi Yatra on October 1
VIJAYAWADA: The fourth phase of the Jana Sena Party’s Vaarahi Yatra is all set to commence from Avanigadda in Krishna district on October 1. As part of the rally, party chief Pawan Kalyan will visit Machilipatnam, Pedana, and Kaikaluru. JSP’s political affairs committee chairman Nadendla Manohar finalised the initial schedule for the rally during a teleconference with party leaders of the undivided Krishna district.
The announcement assumes political significance as this would be the first time that Pawan will address public gatherings after he declared that his party would contest the 2024 elections with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The JSP is already in an alliance with the BJP.
It may be recalled that the actor-politician on September 14 had met TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the Rajahmundry Central Prison after he was arrested for his alleged role in the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) scam. Subsequently, Pawan announced his decision to fight the Assembly polls with the TDP “to save Andhra Pradesh.”
What role will the Jana Sena chief play in the alliance? Will he become the principal speaker of the TDP in the absence of Naidu? These are some questions that several people are eager to find an answer to. On the other hand, it appears that Powerstar might be in a tight spot considering that the special ACB court granted the State Crime Investigation Department (APCID) two-day custody of the former chief minister to question him in the Rs 371-crore APSSDC case.
The High Court, too, dismissed Naidu’s petition seeking the FIR registered against him be quashed, prompting the TDP leader to approach the Supreme Court. While rejecting the plea, the HC had observed that the petition was devoid of merit and declined to interfere as the investigation was at a critical stage. A political analyst said, “On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to consider an urgent hearing of Naidu’s quash petition and asked him to come on Tuesday. What if the apex court also dismisses his plea? Pawan will be in a fix.”
JSP leaders had no answer when they were asked about the future course of action if the SC were to reject Naidu’s quash petition. They maintained that the party had yet to discuss an action plan with the TDP. “As of now, Vaarahi Yatra will continue with the same objectives. Nothing has changed,” clarified a senior leader. Those in the know of things said that Pawan might focus on the TDP chief’s ‘illegal arrest’ and Jagan’s ‘vindictive politics’ during the Vaarahi Yatra.
Meanwhile, it seems that the decision to join hands with the TDP has divided the JSP. This was evident after the JSP chief had urged his partymen to practice restraint even if a few TDP activists made provocative comments against the JSP. During a meeting held following the announcement of the alliance, Pawan had asserted that going with the yellow party was the need of the hour.
Asked about the ‘dissatisfaction’ among some sections of the party over the poll pact, a senior JSP leader said, “No party has 100 per cent support of its members for decisions taken by the leadership. They are bound to have different opinions and the same should be not assumed as dissatisfaction.” The party’s general secretary Nagababu during his visit to Tirupati and Chittoor visit asserted that the JSP cadre wholeheartedly welcomed Pawan’s announcement.
Asked if the alliance with the TDP could prove adverse for the JSP as Naidu has been accused of playing a key role in the multi-crore scam, Nukala Narayana Rao, the party’s senior leader and a Kapu elder from Kakinada, maintained that the poll pact will be beneficial for the JSP. He reasoned, “The TDP cadre will cooperate in a better way out of gratitude as we came to their aid at a time of crisis. With regard to Naidu being in jail, one has to note that Jagan too was in jail. He is now out on bail.”
