Power politics or mere polemics?

Hyderabad: Two years and nine months after floating his party Jana Sena, its chief Pawan Kalyan has, perhaps, for the first time given a concrete indication that he would jump into the rough and tumble of politics as also demonstrate the power of Seemandhra people.

If Pawan’s power-packed punch dialogues have won him millions of fans the same have left political observers guessing about his real political strategy, following his Tirupati utterances.

Why did Pawan adopt a soft stand towards Telugu Desam Party? Why did he say he had respect for the Left parties and why did he hit out at the BJP, considering that he was almost like its mascot at the hustings?Political observers opine that this could be part of a grand plan being spearheaded by Narendra Modi’s man for all seasons, Amit Shah.

There is a possibility that the actor would mount pressure on the TDP to intensify the fight for Special Status and take their relationship to the brink so that, smarter from experience, the BJP may decide to grant Special Status to Andhra Pradesh just prior to the next Assembly elections as its political masterstroke. This understandably will clear the decks for Pawan to join the saffron brigade.

However, if the Special Status issue remains a mirage, there is a likelihood of Pawan jumping into electoral battlefield. With possible help from the Left parties, he may emerge as the king-maker or the king himself and fill the political vacuum that exists in the State.

Political circles also feel there could be another angle to it. If the Centre does not accord Special Status to Andhra Pradesh and if the TDP does not adopt a tough stance against it by actually pulling out of the BJP-led NDA alliance, it will certainly have to face the ire of the people since Special Status has become a sentimental issue.

The Chandrababu Naidu government will face anti-incumbency factor by 2019. The Jana Sena party may help split the anti-incumbency votes against the TDP just as the Praja Rajyam Party floated by his brother Chiranjeevi in 2009 helped Y S Rajasekhara Reddy retain power.

It now remains to be seen in which direction the wind would blow and how Pawan would lay the political route map for his party, which is yet to take a proper shape. So far it is a one-man army that has several followers. But how Pawan would channelise his fans into hardcore party activists is something that time would tell.

However, the Tirupati meeting has made it clear that Pawan wants to fend off the criticism that he is not Gabbar Singh but Rubber Singh. Unlike his earlier meetings, Pawan spoke with greater clarity and was focused in his speech.

Just as N T Rama Rao, the founder-president of TDP, roused the feelings of Telugu Atma Gauravam, Pawan raked up the Seemandhra pride.

There appeared to be sincerity when he warned of a nationwide reaction if the Centre ignored their pleas. Interestingly, Pawan did not hide his displeasure at the TDP leaders for going soft despite the raw deal that was being meted out by the Centre. He even took potshots saying that the TDP leaders were behaving in the manner in which the Congress MPs behaved before bifurcation.

If the Congress MPs bowed before Sonia Gandhi, the TDP MPs were now pleading with Narendra Modi. They should stop surrendering and start asserting, he thundered.That is a message that should not miss the eyes and ears of Naidu’s bigwigs, also.