VIJAYAWADA: Is BJP having second thoughts on alliance with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP) in Andhra Pradesh?
Well, it appears so, if BJP State president Somu Veerraju’s comments are to be believed. When asked about an alliance with JSP during a media briefing in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, the BJP State chief said, “Our alliance is with people and if Jana Sena comes, we will have an alliance for 2024 elections.” Remember, both parties are currently in an alliance in the State.
Those in the know of things said that the recent remarks of JSP president Pawan Kalyan, who seems to be getting closer to TDP, his erstwhile ally, might have made the BJP State chief make such comments.BJP, after breaking its alliance with TDP in the State, had been saying that it would maintain equal distance from both TDP and YSRC, which it described as family parties.
“We will never join hands with them,” Somu Veerraju asserted.
On the other hand, Pawan Kalyan, who met TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu twice after the Visakhapatnam incident—where police had allegedly detained and barred him from attending party programmes—has been eyeing to repeat the 2014 polls magic, when TDP, BJP and JPS proved to be the winning combination in the State.
During a recent public meeting in Srikakulam, the JSP chief reiterated his intentions of not allowing a split in the anti-YSRC party vote in the State. However, with BJP averse to joining hands with the yellow party, an alliance looks highly unlikely.
Further interacting with mediapersons after performing special puja at Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple at Kondagattu to his election campaign vehicle Vaarahi recently, Pawan Kalyan had said that he would take the call on poll alliances (to continue with BJP or not) at the time of elections. He said that JPS was also open to alliance with any party in Telangana.