VIJAYAWADA: Ahead of Tirupati byelection, BJP State president Somu Veerraju has said the party plans to make its alliance partner and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Veerraju’s remarks come in the wake of reports that the JSP rank and file is not extending its full support to the BJP in the run-up to the bypoll.
“Narendra Modi has great respect for Pawan Kalyan. During 2014 elections, Modi, who was tipped to be the next PM then, addressed seven public meetings in the State along with Pawan Kalyan,’’ he said, adding that Modi told them that Pawan should be given great respect and taken care of like a flower.
“Our party always gives respect to Pawan Kalyan and we want to make him Adhipathi (CM),’’ he said. Veerraju made these remarks at a BJP-JSP coordination meet in Tirupati late Saturday, which were ridiculed by YSRC MP Vijayasai.
In fact, the JSP wanted to contest the byelection to the SC reserved Tirupati Lok Sabha seat following the death of sitting YSRC MP Balli Durgaprasad Rao. The BJP, which wanted to prove itself as an alternative to both YSRC and TDP in the State, too pitched for contesting the seat. Finally, after a series of deliberations, it was decided that BJP would contest the bypoll. This is said to have created dissent in the JSP rank and file, which could make its presence felt in the recent ULB elections, whereas the BJP could not put up a decent fight.
YSRC terms Somu remarks ‘bypoll drama’
BJP candidate K Ratna Prabha, soon after her candidature was announced, met Pawan Kalyan in Hyderabad and sought his support for her victory in the byelection. Veerraju’s remarks, however, triggered a war of words with YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy tweeting that the people are laughing at the ‘dramas’ of the BJP ahead of the bypoll. “The BJP is acting like their alliance partner (Pawan Kalyan) will become Chief Minister, even if they do not get deposits in the byelection. Don’t try to put ‘cabbage flower’ in the ears of people (don’t try to fool people). People will bless the YSRC again,’’ Vijayasai Reddy tweeted.
In response, Veerraju tweeted, “We will tell the people of Tirupati what we have done for the development of the temple town and send cabbages to you. You can use the cabbages once your bail gets cancelled (and you go to prison).’’Meanwhile, JSP Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar welcomed the remarks of Veerraju. “Pawan Kalyan is undoubtedly the CM candidate. Nonetheless, the State unit president of a national party has made it clear,’’ Manohar said.