Pawan Kalyan for avoiding split of anti-YSRCP votes, comes under fire from Ministers

Visakhapatnam After Jana Sena Party president and film actor Pawan Kalyan underlined the need for an alliance by like-minded parties to prevent split in Opposition parties to dislodge Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP Government, several Ministers from Andhra Pradesh on Friday came down heavily against him for indulging in drama in the name of a youth rally at Ranasthalam area of Srikakulam district to gain cheap political mileage.

Ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao, Gudivada Amarnath, K. Appalaraju and others at separate press conferences said Pawan Kalyan, at the behest of his political mentor TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, had indulged in bitter criticism of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSRCP in his 45-minute speech without spelling out his action plan to remove backwardness of North Andhra and create employment opportunities.

In his address, Pawan Kalyan, popularly called 'Power Star' by his fans and Jana Sainiks, at the meeting held at a private land sprawling over 25 acres near Tallavalasa on Friday evening, indicated that he would not commit the blunder of going alone like in 2019. He campaigned for TDP-BJP alliance in 2014 without putting up any candidate in the elections.

He said his party was successful in winning only one seat in 2019 but could secure 6.9% of vote share.

On his meeting with Chandrababu Naidu at the latter's Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad, he said they discussed about the 'misrule by psycho Chief Minister of AP,' the GO Ms. No. 1 imposing curbs on political meetings and roadshows and false cases filed against Opposition activists and leaders and came to an understanding to launch a common minimum programme to safeguard democracy.

Incidentally, JSP is in alliance with BJP and the saffron brigade has made any comment yet on putting up a common front to fight against the YSRCP. BJP leaders are also maintaining stoic silence on recent statements made by Pawan Kalyan.

Lashing out at the actor-turned-politician, Dharmana Prasada Rao ridiculed him for terming Jagan Mohan Reddy as 'mudu mukalu CM' referring to trifurcation of capital. He said he knows about Srikakulam and stated that Srikakulam is the most backward district and if Visakhapatnam is made the executive capital, the district will make a lot of progress.

Amarnath said Pawan Kalyan has enacted a drama as per payment made to him by his master in an oblique reference YSRCP charge that he is a package star and on the payrolls of Chandrababu Naidu. Appalaraju, who is from Srikakulam district, said the JSP founder has not made any criticism of TDP rule and deliberately made sweeping allegations against the State Government formed after 2019. He said the people of Andhra Pradesh were in favour of three capitals to ensure decentralised development.