VIJAYAWADA: Mocking Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan for limiting himself to contest a limited number of seats in alliance with the TDP in the ensuing Assembly elections, YSRC general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Saturday sought to know how the JSP chief wants to fight the ruling party.
Speaking to newsmen after the TDP-JSP combine released its first list of candidates, Sajjala said the remaining 19 seats of the 24 given to the JSP might be decided by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu himself as Pawan Kalyan only announced five candidates.
“It has become clear that the JSP has become part and parcel of the TDP. Pawan Kalyan should become the TDP vice-president,” he ridiculed.
Sajjala also wanted to know if Pawan Kalyan was still daydreaming of becoming Chief Minister with mere 24 seats, of which majority of them are not yet decided. “Even Pawan Kalyan himself seems to be indecisive as to where to contest from in the elections. Credibility of the leader determines the strength of a political party like the YSRC,” he observed.
The YSRC leader cautioned JSP activists and supporters to be prepared for the biggest betrayal of all times. “The TDP is known for ditching its partners and the JSP chief is now totally under the control of Naidu,” he remarked.
On TDP’s hankering to stitch an alliance with the BJP, he said, “There is no clarity on the issue yet. Even if it materialises, Naidu may give a fewer seats to the saffron party like he has already done to JSP.”
Known critic of Pawan Kalyan, Water Resources Minister Ambati Rambabu, took the opportunity to lambast the JSP chief. “Pawan Kalyan has betrayed the trust of his cadre. While JSP cadre was hoping for 60-70 Assembly seats, he has limited it to mere 24. Shame,” he said and mocked the JSP chief for asking the party cadre to assume that contesting three Lok Sabha constituencies is equal to contesting another 16-17 Assembly seats. “It is better for Pawan Kalyan to merge his party with the TDP just like his brother Chiranjeevi merged his Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress earlier,” he advised.
Tourism Minister RK Roja said once again Pawan Kalyan proved himself a non serious politician as evident from his decision to contest a mere 24 seats. Suspecting that he might have struck a deal with the TDP, she demanded that the JSP chief disclose it to his party cadre. “Lacking courage to face Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the JSP chief has cobbled up an alliance with the yellow party and the collapse of the TDP-JSP alliance is certain in the coming elections,” she remarked.
Minister for IT and Industries G Amarnath said Pawan Kalyan had betrayed the Kapu community, which backed him all these days, by bowing down to the TDP.