Jana Sena pinning hopes on BSP chief for SC votes

Tirupati: Arrangements for the election meeting to be addressed by BSP supremo Mayawati and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan are going in full swing at Tarakarama Stadium in Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) here on Thursday. It is the first meeting of Mayawati in temple city.

As part of an electoral alliance, Jana Sena had allotted Puthalapattu, Nagari and Satyavedu (SC) Assembly constituencies to the BSP. The Jana Sena fielded its candidates in remaining 11 Assembly segments. As there is no strong leadership for Jana Sena in the constituencies, the CPM, CPI and BSP leaders are mobilising their party workers to make public meeting success.

The Jana Sena leaders are hopeful of SC, ST and BC voters will support Jana Sena and BSP candidates in the district with the participation of Mayawati in the public meeting. According to official sources, there are 8 lakh SC votes, 1.5 lakh ST votes and more than 15 lakh BC votes in the district.

Newly enrolled SC and ST voters are around 6.5 lakh and BC voters 10 lakh. Kapu community has large number of votes in constituencies like Tirupati, Chittoor and Madanapalle. But, the contest in these constituencies will be between TDP and YSRCP, and Jana Sena might split small number of votes.

Speaking to The Hans India on condition of anonymity, a follower of BSP founder Kanshi Ram and a senior SC Association leader said Mayawati did not concentrate to consolidate Dalit vote bank in Telugu states after the demise of Kanshi Ram.

Even now, Mayawati is not showing much interest to contest in Andhra Pradesh, he stated, adding that the BSP chief had agreed for poll alliance on the request of Pawan Kalyan.

According to a SC community leader, SC voters, who follow Kanshi Ram ideology, will not favour Jana Sena, BSP and Left alliance in the upcoming elections. Another SC leader said that the Mayawati meeting will not have any impact on SC voters in the district.