HYDERABAD: The announcement by the Jana Sena Party that it will contest the upcoming municipal elections in Telangana has sparked an intense debate in state political circles, particularly in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The reason is that both the BJP and actor Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party have an alliance with the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh.
The speculation doing the rounds now is whether the Jana Sena will go it alone or reach an understanding with its ally in AP, the BJP.
However, state BJP president N Ramchander Rao’s assertion that the party has emerged as an alternative political force in Telangana and needs no alliance with any party to contest the municipal elections adds a new dimension to the emerging scenario.
He, however, has clarified that the alliance issue will be dealt with by the party high command and the state unit has no say in it.
Telangana Jana Sena leaders also have no clarity as of now about any alliance with the BJP and hope that their party chief Pawan Kalyan will decide it in the coming days.
The BJP has a strong vote bank in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation where it won 46 divisions in the last elections while emerging as a formidable force in several major municipalities like Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal and others in the state.
With the party emerging as a force to reckon with in state politics, after its Lok Sabha poll performance and significant gains in the gram panchayat elections, senior BJP leaders are discussing the possible impact on the party image if the leadership decides to form an alliance with the Jana Sena. Several leaders belonging to the party’s inner circles, according to sources, are worried that a pact with the Jana Sena will have a negative impact on the BJP in the civic body elections and erode its image completely before the next Assembly elections.
They are even learnt to have urged state leaders to nip in the bud any moves to join hands with the actor’s party and convince the high command to fight alone in all upcoming elections, particularly keeping in view the 2023 Assembly election experience, which brought no tangible benefits to the BJP.
They would rather strengthen the BJP at the grassroots level, particularly in Lok Sabha constituencies where the BRS’ vote share shifted in favour of their party candidates. They warn that any alliance with the Jana Sena could split votes and benefit either the Congress or the BRS.
The Telugu Desam Party, which ruled undivided Andhra Pradesh and enjoyed a strong support base in Telangana before the formation of the separate state, is yet to make its intentions clear about contesting municipal elections in the state. It has confined itself to Andhra Pradesh and has not contested any election after the 2018 Assembly polls in Telangana.