It may sound cynical but one has to say, there seems to be no cure for this ‘Jagan phobia’ that is deeply embedded in Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan’s mind. It is perhaps even way beyond the comprehension of psychologists to prescribe some remedy. The Power Star’s recent actions are compelling enough to force people towards this conclusion.
Continuing his spate of flip-flops, Pawan Kalyan plunged his Janasainiks into further confusion the other day by revealing that he might contest for Lok Sabha from Kakinada instead of Pithapuram Assembly constituency. He made this startling revelation while announcing Uday Srinivas, the owner of Tea Time chain of outlets, as Janasena’s candidate for the Kakinada Lok Sabha seat.
“I may also choose to field myself from Kakinada, if Amit Shah (of BJP) orders me to do so. In such a case, me and Uday Srinivas will swap our places of contest (meaning, Uday will be fielded from Pithapuram Assembly seat),” he announced, much to the bemusement of his party workers. Needless to say, the statement has left everyone shocked, including Uday Srinivas, for a variety of reasons.
The uncertainty in candidacy is only going to upset Uday’s electioneering plans further. He is going to be bogged down by the dilemma on whether to focus his energies all across the Parliamentary constituency or simply stay focused only on Pithapuram segment.
This will also dent Janasena’s image, which is already at its lowest ebb. The party is staring at a credibility crisis, thanks to Pawan Kalyan’s failure to secure adequate seats in alliance seat-sharing, his reluctance to reward party loyalists with tickets and, last but not the least, his own musical chairs in deciding his place of contest. He had already oscillated between several Assembly seats before eventually zeroing in on Pithapuram recently.
Pawan Kalyan’s latest statement that he might opt for a Lok Sabha contest has drawn heavy criticism with many seeing it as a clear sign of his diffidence in facing the YSRCP’s might. The ruling party leaders and netizens claim that the Power Star has indeed developed cold feet after figuring out YS Jagan’s deep-rooted strategy to ensure his defeat. In a masterstroke, the YSRCP chief has chosen ‘women power’ to tame the ‘star power’ of the TDP and Janasena this time. Accordingly, Vanga Geetha, the current MP from Kakinada, has been pitted as the YSRCP nominee against Pawan Kalyan in Pithapuram.
As observers feel, the very idea is giving Pawan Kalyan sleepless nights even though he believed Pithapuram to be his safest bet. If the Janasena chief manages to win the seat — though the chances are slim as of now — it will mark his maiden entry into the Assembly after 10 years of existence in politics. But, if he loses from here, then it will only mean added humiliation on two counts. Firstly, he will be ridiculed as an eternal loser, taking off on his twin defeats from Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram in 2019. Secondly, a woman annihilating him can turn out to be a deathly blow for him and may even bring curtains down on his political future.
It is being perceived that Pawan Kalyan is currently struggling for ways to avoid this potentially dangerous scenario and hence leaning towards a Lok Sabha contest. His assertion that he would take a call on this as per the order of Amit Shah also became farcical. Since then, the Janasena chief is being heavily trolled for his plight to take orders from leaders of other parties. This shows in ample measure that the actor-turned-politician is merely a ‘paper tiger’ in politics with no traces of self-respect or individuality.