It was an anti-climax to the mega hype. Weeks ahead of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, actor Pawan Kalyan disappointed his fans and supporters by declaring that he is not ready for the elections yet but wanted the people to bury the Congress at the hustings.
The bubble surrounding the mega launch of his Jana Sena party burst when the ‘Power Star’ claimed he was not sure if he would enter the poll arena in the coming elections. Launching the party at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) in Madhapur, he said: “I am going to work for the welfare of the people but I am not ready for the elections. I also do not know from where I should contest.”
During his nearly three-hour-long speech to a huge audience which listened to him in rapt attention, the 46-year-old actor said two months is too less a time to test the election waters. He also said he does not have the manpower to jump into poll bandwagon immediately.
‘Congress hatao, desh bachao’ Making no bones about his hatred for the Congress, Mr. Kalyan said he would like to see the end of the Congress raj and Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Kalyan thundered: “ Congress hatao. Desh bachao ” amidst loud whistles and heavy hootings from the delirious crowd.
He launched a scathing attack on the Congress high command for the mess it has created in Andhra Pradesh.
He said he also would not like to have “jumpers” into his party, wishing that he would like to build the party from grassroots level.
His mission seem to be to counter the Congress at all costs as the star said he is more than willing to talk to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and other parties’ leaders, including TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, to bring stability in the State. He went on to say that bifurcation of the State was done hastily and said he would go all-out to bring about rapprochement between Telangana and Seemandhra regions in a peaceful manner.
Talking about his Jana Sena, he said in an emotional tone: “This is a Sena of the common people and of the country”. Jana Sena, meaning people’s army, has a six-pointed star inside a circle as its emblem, symbolising, among other things, a revolution. Star, which is Jana Sena’s emblem, has a white background that signifies peace and stability while red colour signifies revolution. The six—pointed star reflects the ideals of the party.
A dot in the centre of the star represents the soul of every being.
The black lining denotes the harmony of the opposites, according to a party leader.
Known to be a mercurial person with strong emotions and deep thoughts, Mr. Kalyan played to the script he has always been known for during his prolonged speech -- often bordering on sarcasm and eccentricity.
Though he took his elder brother Chiranjeevi’s name, the star made it clear that he was charting his own political path after his eldest brother could not run PRP and joined the Congress.
His speech which was lacklustre in the beginning slowly picked up the tempo during the later part.
The arrangements for the inaugural of the party looked like an audio or teaser release function, while the invitations, including media and car passes, carried a barcode.
It is also a first for HICC, a venue for audio launches and film functions, where a political party has taken shape.
