Is actor-turned politician Pawan Kalyan diligently working towards revival of his Jana Sena Party, which he had founded before the 2014 elections, and prepare itself to be a force to reckon with for entering the election fray in 2019 in Andhra Pradesh ?.
This question gained importance and gained heated discussions in political circles following the “power star” suddenly readying himself to take on the Telugu Desam Government on the issue of land acquisition for building the new capital of Andhra Pradesh state.
Pawan Kalyan is now on a fact finding mission in Guntur district following reports about farmers in certain villages refusing to part with their lands in the TDP government’s land pooling scheme to acquire 33,000 acres of land for building for its dream venture of building a Singapore-type capital for the state.
As a matter of fact Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu sought the help of Pawan Kalyan not only in getting sufficient financial assistance from the Central Government for building a new capital for AP but also prevail upon some farmers who were not agreeing to part with their lands for the purpose. When the BJP-led NDA Government at the centre remained not committal about granting special status to AP and also the providing the required financial assistance for developing a new capital, Chandrababu Naidu sought the help of Pawan Kalyan to use his proximity with the PM Narendra Modi in getting to the needed central assistance and support.
The power star seemed to have found a golden opportunity for the revival his Jana Sena Party’s political fortunes with an eye on the 2019 elections. It is pertinent to note here that during the 2014 elections, Narendra Modi, who was the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, gauged the charisma and influence of Pawan Kalyan among the masses, especially the youth, and effectively utilized it by building a close rapport with him. Moreover, this has helped in a way the TDP as Pawan Kalyan was prevailed upon by Modi to extend support to Chandrababu Naidu. Thus in order to prevent the splitting of votes, Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party did not enter the election fray.
Against this backdrop the issues of land acquisition for building a new capital for AP and the help and support sought by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in this regard seemed to have ignited the taste for political power in the “power star”. This was amply evident during Pawan Kalyan’s address of the farmers at Undavalli, Bethapudi and other villages in Guntur district on Thursday when he vowed to cross swords with Chandrababu Naidu if the government forcibly acquires lands from the farmers.
The tone an tenor of Pawan Kalyan at these meetings in these villagers, where large number of farmers and others thronged with memoranda to be submitted to him, clearly gave an indication that the film star is preparing himself to don the role of a political leader. His declaration that he would even go an indefinite fast to protect the interests of the farmers brought to the fore the hidden agenda of the actor-turned politician. And undoubtedly this would be like a thorn in the flesh for Chandrababu Naidu.