Epaper
It appears Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh are making every effort to keep Jana Sena Party president and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan in good humour, so that the bonhomie between the two parties continues in the next elections.
Naidu’s visit to Pawan Kalyan at his Jubilee Hills residence on Saturday is being viewed as part of a calculated strategy to send a message across the leaders of and cadres of both the parties that their bonhomie is intact, amidst reports that Naidu is all set to declare Lokesh as his successor in the coming days.
Naidu personally called on Pawan Kalyan, who is recovering after undergoing sinus surgery, and enquired about his health, wishing him a speedy recovery.
While the visit is officially described as a courtesy call, analysts say it indicates the TDP chief will go to any extent to preserve the alliance.
“The chief minister doesn’t want to give any opportunity to the opposition YSR Congress party to bounce back taking advantage of the ground-level fissures between the TDP and Jana Sena Party. He knows that if the alliance splits, it will be advantageous to the YSRCP,” an analyst said.
A couple of days ago, Naidu reportedly pulled up TDP leaders for engaging in confrontations with Jana Sena Party cadre at the constituency level, underlining the need for coordination and restraint to avoid friction between coalition partners.
Indirectly referring to the recent confrontation between the two parties in Pithapuram, Naidu made it clear that he would not tolerate any development that creates rift between the TDP and Jana Sena.
“I have excellent relationship with Pawan Kalyan. At the ground-level, too, I expect the TDP leaders have a bonhomie with the Jana Sena cadre,” he said.
At the same time, Lokesh too appears to be making conscious efforts to maintain cordial relations with the Jana Sena chief.
His recent post on X, in which he struck a warm and respectful tone towards Pawan Kalyan, while thanking the latter for his message on SSC results, is also part of the strategy.
“At every given opportunity, Lokesh doesn’t forget to address Pawan Kalyan as his big brother. Both father and son are making it a point to create the impression that they are treating Pawan Kalyan with high respect,” the analyst said.
This strategy – projecting Lokesh as a future leader while simultaneously nurturing the alliance with Jana Sena – is seen as a delicate balancing act.
Any perception of sidelining Pawan Kalyan could have political costs, especially given his independent support base and influence among specific voter segments.
