In a surprising move, the Telangana BJP has reached out to the Jana Sena, led by actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, for support in the upcoming Assembly elections on 30 November.
A delegation led by Union Tourism Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy, along with BJP OBC Morcha national president K Laxman, met Pawan Kalyan at his residence in Hyderabad on Wednesday, 18 October, to seek his support.
This has led to speculation that the two parties might form an alliance and contest the elections together, contradicting the BJP’s earlier statement that they would contest independently in Telangana.
The Jana Sena has already announced candidates for 32 Assembly constituencies in Telangana.
The meeting holds importance as the BJP central leadership is finalizing the list of candidates for over 40 Assembly constituencies in Telangana, expected to be announced soon.
Kishan Reddy, Laxman, and Pawan Kalyan discussed the Assembly segments for the elections during their hour-long meeting.
The outcome will be shared after Kishan Reddy meets with the BJP central leadership.
Reportedly, the BJP aims to leverage Pawan Kalyan’s support in Telangana, particularly in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, where the BJP stood second after the ruling BRS in the 2020 elections.
There’s some uncertainty regarding whether Pawan Kalyan will extend his support to the BJP or the TDP Telangana unit, as TDP’s president Kasani Gnaneshwar has expressed intentions to contest the elections with Jana Sena’s backing.
Pawan Kalyan has already announced his party’s participation in 32 Assembly segments in Telangana, primarily in the GHMC area, Nalgonda, and Khammam districts.
These areas have a significant number of Andhra voters, who may support a party opposing KCR, provided it can present a substantial challenge or at least make an impact.
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