Maverick Telugu actor Pavan Kalyan’s all out attack on Congress party at the launch of his political party ‘Jana Sena’, friendly gesture towards Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and complete silence on the BJP has sparked speculation of a new and strong anti-Congress combine emerging both in Seemandhra and Telangana regions in the coming elections.
Speculations were rife that even before he delivered two-hour long speech full of “Pavanisms” and filmi gestures, Pavan Kalyan had fixed an appointment with BJP’s prime ministeral candidate Narendar Modi on March 17. However, there was no official word from both the sides so far.
If the much talked about meeting materialises then it will not leave any doubt about the strategy that the actor was going to adopt in his fight against Congress. As the actor has also declared his plans to meet the Telugu Desam President N Chandrababu Naidu and there were strong indications of BJP and the TDP reaching an electoral understanding, political observers believe that Pavan Kalyan could be the star campaigner for the BJP-TDP combine. But what the actor and his Jana Sena party would get in exchange was not clear because actor himself was not sure whether he would not be contesting the coming elections.
In the actor’s clarion call "Congress Hatao Desh Bachao" itself many people have seen a reflection of Modi’s thoughts. Questions were being raised whether it was the BJP-TDP combine which had brought forth the popular actor and influenced him to open yet another front against the already beleaguered and depleted Congress in the State.
Doubts were also being expressed whether Pavan Kalyan’s elder brother and Union Minster Chiranjeevi will also jump from the burning Congress ship and join the BJP in next few days.
Congress leaders reacted with anger. Pavan’s brother and senior Congress leader Chiranjeevi publicly disagreed with Pavan Kalyan saying, "No one can finish the Congress". He said that the grand old party was rooted in history with a span of 127 years. "Jan Sena will also fail in its attempt to destroy Congress", he said.
At the same time he defended his brother descrbing him as a very sensitive man who got emotional at the launch of his party.
However, sources close to Chiranjeevi said he was not satisfied with the State of affairs in Seemandhra Congress after the bifurcation of the State.
Informed sources said that Chiranjeevi created an uproar in the meeting of the election committee of Seemandhra Congress by saying he was under tremendous pressure to quit the party. "What can I do for Congress when Seemandhra people are so upset with it", he reportedly told the meeting in the presence of Congress leaders.
Many Congress leader suspected a sinister conspiracy behind the outburst of Pavan Kalyan against Congress. Party MlC Yadav Reddy said that the actor had a hidden agenda to help some political party.
On the contrary the TDP and BJP leaders were jubilated at the turn of events and welcomed Pavan Kalyan's anti Congress plank.
Though he came under sarcastic attack from Pavan Kalyan, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu reacted cautiously and took care not to offend the actor. While Pavan Kalyan was incensed over reported ridicule Venkaiah Naidu heaped on his plans to launch a new political party, Naidu denied having said any such thing and blamed the misunderstanding on the media.