VISAKHAPATNAM: Even as the electioneering is coming to an end in less than 48 hours, Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan is yet to campaign in many parts of Gajuwaka, from where he is contesting.
Though the actor-turned-politician has rented a house in Gajuwaka, he has visited the constituency and Visakhapatnam city thrice. He did not stay in the house even for a day after filing his nomination. The party activists are in disarray as Pawan does not seem to have any proper planning to take up extensive campaigning while his rival candidates are way ahead of him.
With ill-health forcing Pawan Kalyan to cut short his campaigning schedule for the past two days, JSP leaders are now in a fix as to whether he will campaign at all in Gajuwaka at least in the last two days – Monday and Tuesday – before electioneering comes to an end. Though road shows are planned on Monday and Tuesday, they are doubtful of Pawan’s participation.
A section of JSP leaders feel that they are far behind other parties when it comes to campaigning.
“A coordination committee has been formed but it is inactive as there is no one to guide them,’’ a member of the panel said. The Left parties with whom JSP has forged an alliance have a considerable presence in the constituency, which is an industrial belt.
“The Left party leaders are eager to take up a vigorous campaign in their pockets but with lack of proper coordination, they are in a dilemma as to how to go ahead,’’ one of the leaders said.
After covering a majority of the localities in the constituency, TDP and YSRC leaders are busy making last-minute arrangements for final campaigning, while JSP leaders are hoping that Kalyan will cover the untouched areas at least during the last two days.
“Our opponents are planning booth management on polling day and distribution of voter slips but we are yet to complete even our campaign,’’ rued another leader.
Blame it on lack of proper campaign planning, the YSRC is not seeing the Jana Sena Party chief a serious threat to its candidate. YSRC candidate Tippala Nagi Reddy said, “We consider the TDP our main rival as it has a strong base here and moreover the party won the seat last time. We do not have a doubt that the TDP and the JSP have a secret understanding and, in fact, they are two sides of the same coin. Though Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited the Port City and the Uttarandhra region several times after nominations, he didn’t hold any public meeting in Gajuwaka. This is ample proof of their secret understanding. Another reason for the YSRC not taking JSP seriously is that Pawan Kalyan is an outsider and does not know the local problems,’’ Nagi Reddy said.
TDP MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao feels that the JSP and Pawan, not YSRC’s Nagi Reddy, who can give him tough fight. “Nagi Reddy is seeking votes by playing the sympathy card for his loss in the previous two elections. It won’t benefit him. Pawan, on the other hand, has strong fan base, community equations and he is also a new face,’’ Srinivasa Rao reasoned.