BJP-Jana Sena alliance in Telangana on the cards?

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from Telangana on Wednesday discussed with Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader and actor Pawan Kalyan the possibility of an alliance for the next month’s assembly elections in Telangana.

As JSP is a constituent of BJP-led NDA, union minister and BJP state president G Kishan Reddy and party MP K Laxman suggested that both the parties together contest the elections.

Jana Sena said in a statement that clarity is likely in a couple of days about both the parties together contesting the elections. Pawan Kalyan conveyed the sentiments of Telangana leaders of Jana Sena to the BJP leaders. He recalled that in 2014 he had campaigned for TDP and BJP candidates in Andhra Pradesh and on the request of BJP leadership did not contest Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections.

Pawan Kalyan told the BJP leaders that if this time JSP does not contest at least 30 seats in Telangana, this would affect the morale of the party. The actor is under pressure from his party cadre in Telangana to contest the elections. He had already announced his plans to contest a limited number of seats in Telangana. The state JSP leaders have requested him not to go back on his decision.

Kishan Reddy and Laxman, who later left for Delhi, are expected to apprise the BJP leadership about the outcome of their meeting with Pawan Kalyan. The meeting came amid the hectic activity in BJP to finalise the candidates for the Telangana elections.