Has Jana Sena Made Its Mark in Telangana?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Hyderabad, Feb 15 (NationPress) The Jana Sena has made its initial move in Telangana by securing two seats in the recent municipal elections, as stated by Pawan Kalyan, the party President and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday.
He expressed his congratulations to Aruri Vijayalakshmi and Aggu Sagar, who have been elected as a councillor and corporator, respectively.
The Jana Sena contested 332 seats in the elections, achieving victory in one seat in a municipality and another in a corporation.
Vijayalakshmi was elected from one of the wards in Nereducharla Municipality located in the Nalgonda district.
Aggu Sagar has won the position of corporator in Mancherial Municipal Corporation.
Pawan Kalyan emphasized that a solid foundation for the party's future in Telangana has been established, highlighting that even the largest tree starts from a small seed.
According to leaders from the Jana Sena’s Telangana unit, the party candidates secured the second position in five locations and third in 47 wards.
They noted that the Jana Sena exceeded or matched the performance of at least one of the top three parties in 16 percent (54) of the contested wards.
The prominent parties in Telangana include the ruling Congress, along with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Jana Sena is affiliated with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
This actor-politician-led party is currently sharing power with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the BJP in Andhra Pradesh.
The Jana Sena independently fielded candidates for the Telangana municipal elections after the BJP indicated it would not form alliances.
In the elections, the party contested in 11 districts, with the highest number of candidates being 48 in Nizamabad, followed by 46 in Nalgonda, 44 in Mahabubnagar, and 39 in Adilabad.
The elections for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations in Telangana were conducted on February 11.
Although the Jana Sena had announced that Pawan Kalyan would campaign for both Jana Sena and BJP candidates on February 7 and 8, this visit was canceled. Sources from the Jana Sena attributed the cancellation to a minor health issue, leading to speculation about comments Pawan Kalyan made regarding Telangana last December.
The Telangana Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had warned that Pawan Kalyan's films would be barred from release in Telangana unless he apologized for his perceived 'insulting' remarks about the state.
The Deputy Chief Minister had previously blamed the 'evil eye' for the decline of coconut trees in the Konaseema region, a locale known for its lush fields, apparently referencing the state's bifurcation.
Leaders across various parties in Telangana have called for an apology from Pawan Kalyan. The Jana Sena has countered that the interpretation of their leader's statement was distorted.