Upset over denial of ticket, Jana Sena leader goes on fast

Rajamahendravaram: As the TDP announced the name of Jyotula Nehru as its candidate for Jaggampeta constituency as part of the alliance with Jana Sena, Jaggampeta Jana Sena in-charge Patamsetty Suryachandra went on a hunger strike.

He alleged that he was not allotted the party ticket as he was poor. He made it clear that the hunger strike would continue until he was allotted a ticket. The Suryachandra couple stayed at the Durgamma temple in Atchutapuram from Saturday night.

He took up the Padayatra with his followers and activists from Goonada of Jaggampeta mandal to Atchutapuram Saturday night. Tension flared when he reached Pentapalli village of Gokavaram mandal and announced that he would commit suicide at the Durgamma temple in Atchutapuram.

Soon, the police reached the spot and stopped the yatra for a brief while. During a scuffle with the police, Suryachandra reportedly fell consciousness and recovered after some time.

Later, Suryachandra continued his Padayatra till Atchutapuram. He said that he is not angry with Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan. Pawan is like God to him. However, he claimed that he has strengthened the Jana Sena Party in the constituency since 2019 and now feels disappointed that he was denied a ticket to contest the election. He also said that he hails the Jana Sena-TDP electoral alliance and supports Jaggampeta MLA candidate Jyotula Nehru.

He said that he had served as a sarpanch thrice while he was in TDP and joined Jana Sena because he did not like the policies of TDP. He said Pawan Kalyan's ideology attracted him to the Jana Sena Party. But he wondered how desirable changes can be brought about in the society when the poor are not given the opportunity to contest elections.