VIJAYAWADA: Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday said that he had to face the ire of the national leaders (read BJP leaders) for batting for an alliance of TDP, Jana Sena and BJP to prevent a split in anti-YSRCP votes.
Speaking to his party leaders in Bhimavaram on Wednesday, Pawan Kalyan said he felt that the troika needed to emerge to protect the State from the YSRCP. Pawan Kalyan, whose party was in alliance with the BJP after the 2019 elections, has been pitching for an alliance of the three parties and took up the issue with the BJP national leadership on several occasions.
The actor-politician said that he took pains to form the alliance not for his personal benefit but in the larger interests of the State.
“There is a need to protect the State from increasing criminality and pull it out from its neck-deep debts,” he said. “I pleaded with folded hands (before the BJP leaders) to join hands,’’ Pawan Kalyanhe JSP chief said.
Pawan Kalyan further said he suffered severe mental agony in the process of forging the alliance. “I only know how much I had suffered, sandwiched (between the TDP and the BJP),” he said and added that he had to even face the anger of the national (BJP) leaders.
In another controversial remark, Pawan Kalyan said he had never vouched for zero-budget politics.
PK may contest from Bhimavaram
“The Election Commission of India itself had increased the election expenditure to Rs 40 lakh,” he said and added that a leader has to spend a minimum amount for the elections. “One has to spend at least on providing food (to the voters). It is an undeniable fact that money has to be spent. It does not mean that I am asking you to buy votes,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the actor-politician dropped hints that he would contest from the Bhimavaram Assembly seat, which he lost in the 2019 elections.
Pawan Kalyan, who is touring the erstwhile twin Godavari districts to meet party leaders ahead of the elections, visited Bhimavaram where he met West Godavari TDP district president and former Rajya Sabha MP Thota Seetharama Lakshmi, former TDP MLA from Bhimavaram Pulaparthi Ramanjaneyulu, and BJP leaders reportedly to garner support for the JSP candidates. The JSP chief reportedly told the district TDP president that the JSP would like to contest three seats from the district and sought the cooperation of the alliance partners.
Of the seven Assembly seats under the newly formed West Godavari district, the JSP wants to contest three seats, including Bhimavaram, Pawan Kalyan reportedly told the TDP leaders. The JSP is likely to ask Tadepalligudem and Narasapuram seats. The other four would be left to the TDP, sources said.
As the JSP has already announced contesting Rajamahendravaram Rural and Rajanagaram seats, it would be contesting five of the 14 seats in the newly carved East Godavari and West Godavari districts.