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Published Jan 05, 2026 | 12:37 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 05, 2026 | 12:52 PM
Andhra Pradesh DyCM Pawan Kalyan. Credit: x.com/PawanKalyan
Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s visit to the Kondagattu Anjaneya Swamy temple in Jagtiyal district on Saturday, 3 January, had all the trappings of religious devotion at first sight.
He had with him the robes that were to be offered to the deity, special prayers and solemn promises. Then came the whiff of his political ambition.
For Kalyan and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana remains the “Paradise Lost” since 2014. Ever since bifurcation, Andhra leaders have struggled to look north without a sigh. Now, with the TDP–JSP–BJP troika firmly calling the shots in Andhra Pradesh after the 2024 political landslide, the temptation to attempt an encore in Telangana seems hard to resist.
After all, when one coalition fits so well, why not try the same size elsewhere?
Naidu often says one must have the courage to dream—and the courage to chase that dream. Kalyan appears to be borrowing that line generously. His rather showy procession to Kondagattu, complete with ceremonial offerings and carefully choreographed optics, looked less like a quiet thanksgiving visit and more like a trailer launch.
Faith was on display, so was ambition.
The actor-turned-politician also met Jana Sena-backed ward members from nearby villages and announced that he had persuaded the TTD to take up temple renovations. This, of course, raised a few eyebrows.
The Telangana Endowments Department, critics quip, is hardly short of funds or faith.
Kondagattu Anjaneya Swamy belongs as much to Telangana as to Andhra Pradesh — and, judging by the crowd, to the rest of the country too. Devotees have never waited for Andhra leaders to open the temple doors.
Kalyan’s personal bond with the deity is well known. He often recalls how he escaped with minor injuries after accidentally coming into contact with live electric wires in the past, attributing his survival to Anjaneya Swamy’s grace.
Gratitude is one thing. Turning it into a political roadshow is quite another. When devotion begins to resemble a show of strength—especially with the BJP’s national backing—it invites interpretation.
His professed affection for Telangana also has a complicated backstory. That “evil eye” remark linking Telangana to withering coconut plantations in Konaseema did little to win hearts. Since then, Telangana has remained the classic case of sour grapes for many Andhra leaders—admired from a distance, grumbled about up close, and constantly dreamt of.
Whether this temple visit was a matter of faith, foresight, or plans is open to debate. But one thing is clear: when politics goes on pilgrimage, even prayer bells begin to sound like campaign drums.
