Pawan Kalyan rules out support to TDP, BJP in 2019 general elections

Jana Sena Party founder and actor Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday ruled out support to Telugu Desam Party and Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2019 elections.

Expressing solidarity with the agitation being spearheaded by the employees of the public sector Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) against privatisation two days after one of the employees N. Venkatesh committed suicide opposing the Centre’s decision, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said the company earning profit since inception in 1976 would not be allowed to be handed over private hands on a golden platter.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan, fondly called ‘Power Star’ by his fans, said he would send a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop privatisation of DCI. “This is my first wish to him after I supported the BJP-TDP alliance in 2014 elections,” he said appealing YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to extend his support to DCI employees.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan met the bereaved family members of Venkatesh at the relay hunger strike camp of DCI employees and asked BJP and Congress MPs, including Union Ministers from Andhra Pradesh to fight for ex-gratia to the family after the tragic loss and declared that the “defeat of BJP will begin from Visakhapatnam if the Centre did not shelve its decision for strategic sale of DCI.”

Mr. Pawan Kalyan said he never hesitated from calling a spade a spade and if he kept quiet, even Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited would be sold off very shortly.

In his characteristic style, he said he was deeply hurt when he came to know about NDA Government’s decision on 100% disinvestment of DCI and the suicide of Venkatesh (28) due to fear of losing job and wondered why the local MPs, MLAs and Ministers were in deep slumber over such a serious issue.

CITU State president Ch. Narsinga Rao said DCI had been ranked among the top 10 dredging companies in the world and pointed out that Visakhapatnam, which was once smaller than Bheemunipatnam grew into a metropolis due to establishment of public sectors like RINL, DCI, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd and Visakhapatnam Port.