Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena to work with Left to form alternative to TDP in Andhra Pradesh

Fledgling political outfit founded by popular Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan, the Jana Sena Party is all set to join hands with Communist parties — CPI and CPI (M) — to form an alternative to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the main opposition, YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh in the upcoming elections.

Pawan held a series of meetings with leaders of Left parties on Thursday and Friday in Hyderabad and said they have decided work together with a common agenda in the next elections.

“It was decided that the Jana Sena, the CPI and the CPI (M) will join hands and fight together with a common action plan,” Jana Sena political affairs committee convener, Madasu Gangadharam said.

Though there was no decision on forming a political front at the meeting, the three parties have decided to meet again in Vijayawada shortly to work out a formula. It was agreed to hold a state-wide convention where the formation of Jana Sena-Left front could be announced, a leader familiar with the development, said.

“We are going to meet Pawan again in another week or two to decide how we shall go about with our future course of action,” former MP and CPI (M) state secretary P Madhu said.

For quite some time, the Left parties have been fighting with Pawan on people’s issues like special category status to AP, forcible acquisition of land for the capital city Amaravati, Visakhapatnam Railway Zone etc. The response from the people has been tremendous,” he said.

Pawan, who had campaigned for the TDP-BJP combine in 2014 elections, parted ways with both the parties and has been touring different parts of the state extensively for the last three months.

So far, he has covered the northern coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam on his “Praja Porata Yatra” (tour to fight for people) and addressed rallies. He is presently touring West Godavari district, which is dominated by the Kapu community to which he belongs.

While the TDP has been alleging that Pawan is being used as pawn by the BJP to run down the Chandrababu Naidu government, the actor- politician has been moving along with the Left parties.

To this, CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna said the TDP was spreading canards against Pawan to mislead the people for political gains.

“It is a matter of common sense that the Communist parties would never work together with any leader having connections with the BJP,” CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna said.