Hyderabad, February 4: Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party President Pawan Kalyan will campaign for candidates from both the Jana Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Telangana municipal elections. The Jana Sena announced that Kalyan will participate in the election campaign on February 7 and 8.
According to the party, the Jana Sena and BJP have fielded candidates with the aim of strengthening grassroots organization while keeping Telangana’s interests in mind. This process has taken place in a spirit of mutual agreement and camaraderie between the two parties.
A statement indicated that Pawan Kalyan will campaign on behalf of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Both the Jana Sena and BJP are part of the NDA government led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh.
However, the TDP has decided to distance itself from the Telangana municipal elections. Meanwhile, the BJP and Jana Sena will contest the elections without a formal alliance. The Telangana BJP has already made it clear that the party will fight the municipal elections independently. Elections for 116 municipalities and 7 municipal corporations are scheduled for February 11.
While the BJP has fielded candidates in all urban local bodies, it remains unclear how many candidates the Jana Sena has put forward. The Jana Sena has yet to announce the municipalities where Pawan Kalyan will campaign.
Telangana BJP President N. Ramachandra Rao stated last month that the party would contest the municipal elections alone. However, he also mentioned that the BJP welcomes support from any other party. This statement came shortly after the Jana Sena announced its intention to participate in the municipal elections in Telangana.
Rao reiterated that the BJP has emerged as an alternative political force in Telangana and does not need an alliance with any party to contest the municipal elections. The TDP is not participating in the municipal elections in Telangana, marking the first time the party has opted out of these elections. Additionally, the TDP will also refrain from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state.
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