PM Modi stonewalls Pawan Kalyan proposal of BJP-TDP-Jana Sena alliance in Andhra Pradesh

The prime minister advised Pawan Kalyan that this was not the right time — 19 months before the polls — to discuss an alliance with the TDP.

BySNV Sudhir

Published Nov 12, 2022 | 9:26 PMUpdatedNov 12, 2022 | 9:29 PM

Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Visakhapatnam on Friday, 11 November, 2022. (Supplied)

Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Visakhapatnam on Friday, 11 November, appears to have landed at a crossroads.

The meeting is believed to have left the actor-turned-politician high and dry.

The Jana Sena chief was hopeful of a positive response to his proposal for a joint fight of all the Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh to take on the ruling YSRCP, BJP sources told South First.

According to the sources, the proposed alliance would also include the TDP.

However, the prime minister was not so enthused with the proposal, said the sources.

Interestingly, while Jana Sena sources claimed that the meeting took place for around half an hour, BJP sources said that it was just around 10 minutes.

‘Too early’

Modi, it is learnt, advised Pawan Kalyan that this was not the right time — 19 months before the polls — to talk about an alliance with the TDP, and also not one to “rush in”.

The prime minister is said to have advised the actor-turned-politician to take up programmes to expose the failures of the YSRCP government, and that the BJP would extend total support.

“As far as the BJP is concerned, what we understood is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given clarity on the party’s position about the alliance. It’s up to Pawan Kalyan to take a call,” a senior BJP leader told South First.

It may be recalled that after the meeting last month in Vijayawada, both TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan exhorted the need to join hands to fight in an endeavour to save democracy.

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In a hurry?

Pawan Kalyan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Visakhapatnam on Friday after eight long years. It was after the 2014 poll results that he last met Modi.

“Pawan appears to be in a hurry with respect to the alliance with the TDP. He wants the 2014 alliance back, maybe due to pressure from the TDP, which the BJP appears to have been not at all interested in,” said a political analyst who wished not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

“Clearly, Pawan Kalyan is at crossroads on whom to choose between the BJP and the TDP and proceed,” added the analyst.