Pawan Kalyan Losing Credibility 

Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

Jana Sena founder and actor turned politician, Pawan Kalyan is adopting an increasingly confusing stance. By accusing Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo, K. Chandrashekar Rao of being vengeful towards Chandrababu Naidu and suggesting that thereby he was moving closer to the YSR Congress party, Pawan seems to be revealing his true colours. One is compelled to wonder whether Chandrababu Naidu is expressing his thoughts through Pawan Kalyan on the subject.

We have seen how Chandrababu Naidu and his party leaders humiliated Pawan Kalyan on several occasions over the past one and a half years. It may be recalled that in a public meeting at Guntur, Pawan Kalyan spoke vocally against the Andhra Pradesh government, Chandrababu Naidu’s corruption, as also the brazen venality of his son, minister Lokesh. After Pawan Kalyan‘s public criticism of Chandrababu and Lokesh, TDP leaders also flew hammer and tongs at the actor turned politician.

The TDP leaders described Pawan Kalyan as a politician of little significance. The ruling party in Andhra Pradesh described YS Jagan and Pawan Kalyan as agents of Modi, true to TDP style of propaganda. What transpired later is not known, but Chandrababu Naidu began to woo Pawan Kalyan all of a sudden. The TDP supremo laid a trap for the actor turned politician and Pawan Kalyan seems to have walked blindly into it.

Though Pawan Kalyan had been criticising both the YSR Congress party and the TDP, it became clear that he was targeting YS Jagan. Usually one criticises those in power and exposes their failures, but Pawan Kalyan started to sing a different tune altogether.

In saying that KCR is being vengeful towards Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan seems to suggest that the Andhra Pradesh chief minister is above criticism. If one were to scrutinise the matter closely, does the TRS enjoy any strength or support in Andhra Pradesh? It must be pointed out that even Chandrababu Naidu had stated that he had attempted to forge an alliance between the TDP and TRS, but that KCR had declined the offer.

Subsequently, Chandrababu Naidu went in for an alliance with a party which he had criticised in the strongest of terms for years, the Congress. Pawan Kalyan has lambasted the Chandrababu Naidu regime as an extremely corrupt one on several occasions. With his recent statements, the Jana Sena founder seems to imply that he has come to an understanding with the TDP chief. Pawan Kalyan’s opponents accuse him of surrendering to politics of ‘compromise’.

If the actor turned politician speaks in a pro-TDP tone and acts accordingly, he will come under a lot of flak and will be accused of succumbing to Chandrababu Naidu‘s allurements.

Pawan Kalyan set up his party in 2014 and later backed the TDP-BJP combine, a development which raised eyebrows at that time. This was seen as an unethical move because earlier Pawan Kalyan had criticised both the Congress and the TDP at the time that the party Praja Rajyam was established by his brother and popular actor, Chiranjeevi.

Many of his actions proved to be controversial including his call for common protection force and his giving up his licensed weapon at the police station, among others. Later, he implied that he supported the TDP against his will even though the party had at one time led a campaign from NTR Trust, stating that TDP leader and former minister, Paritala Ravi got Pawan’s head tonsured, he said.

Normally, no political party fails to contest an election once it is established nor does one come across a full-fledged political party supporting others without contesting an election.This dubious distinction goes to Pawan Kalyan, who it appears set up his Jana Sena to support the TDP-BJP combine in 2014.

There were instances in the past when Pawan Kalyan spoke very highly of KCR. It must be pointed out here that KCR had never met YS Jagan. The YSR Congress party president stated explicitly that he would welcome KCR’s support to the cause of special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Pawan Kalyan, it must be said, behaves in an inexplicable manner. He claims to be a fan of Che Guevara, but backs the party known as the Hindutva party, BJP. In Pawan Kalyan‘s utterances, ascribing alliances to YSRCP and YS Jagan, Chandrababu Naidu‘s style is evident. In speaking in the same tone as Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan will stand to lose his credibility.

Also Read: KCR’s Initiative To Create A National Platform Commendable: YS Jagan