Jana Sena’s 24 seats: What are the odds of winning polls?

Vijayawada: Despite growing discontentment within Jana Sena Party over the allocation of seats, the party leader Pawan Kalyan sought to persuade the party’s rank and file. During the recent first joint ‘Jenda’ with the coalition partner TDP, Pawan asked the party leaders and workers to look at the other side of the fence. He urged them to view his decision for accepting a meagre 24 seats for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the larger perspective of elections. 

Notably, Pawan Kalyan faced criticism from both within the party and the Kapu community leaders for not bargaining for more Assembly seats. According to political observers, Jana Sena leadership is misreading the election strategy prepared by the TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for the upcoming polls. 

A look at the number of seats allocated to the Jana Sena will reveal that the party has been given only weak seats whereas the assembly seats of TDP will keep the opposition party in good stead in the polls. 

Meanwhile, the Jana Sena leadership has asked its political affairs committee member Kandula Durgesh to shift to Nidadavole assembly constituency. Earlier, he was permitted to contest from Rajahmundry rural constituency. The change in the constituency just weeks before the election will jeorpardise his chance of winning the election. 

The party is fielding Panchakarla Sandeep from Bhimili, however, senior TDP leader Ganta Srinivasa Rao is putting the pressure on TDP high command to allow him to contest the election from this seat. He has even threatened to contest the election as an independent candidate. 

Jana Sena had hopes of winning elections in Anakapalle constituency, however, the TDP leadership is learnt to have snatched it from Pawan Kalyan’s party. Earlier, followers of former MLA Peela Govind and former MLC Buddha Naga Jagadeesh protested against the allotment of Anakapalle seat to the TDP’s coalition partner. 

Pawan Kalyan had hopes of retaining the Gajuwaka seat but it seems the TDP has taken this seat already. Reports suggest that the TDP is trying to compensate the loss of seats to Pawan Kalyan’s party by offering it 4 parties in Rayalaseema which is an unbreachable bastion for the opposition parties. The offer of four assembly seats to Jana Sena is worthless as the party candidates will lose elections badly in the southern region. As per reports, Pawan Kalyan will not campaign for the party candidates in the region. 

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