Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday sounded the election bugle in the capital Amaravati and made his intention of taking on both the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress Party in the coming general elections clear.
Addressing a huge gathering of supporters at the party’s fourth formation day celebrations held here, Mr. Kalyan appealed to the people to choose a new party which promises to end corruption and social justice to all sections in society.
“I will reveal the contour and strategy of the party in the election manifesto that will be released on August 14,” he said. Becoming emotional, he said he was prepared to make any sacrifice and even go on indefinite fast ïf necessary for securing the just demands of the people of the State. He would not hesitate to bring to halt traffic on national highways as part of the agitation.
But what raised eye brows was the shrill tone and tenor of his address, punctuated by barbs against the TDP.
Mr. Kalyan also attacked the YSR Congress Party accusing it of not addressing the problems being faced by the poor on the floor of the Assembly. “Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy is not interested in coming to the Assembly or is he thinking that he should come to the Assembly only after becoming the CM?’’ he asked.
The Jana Sena leader, who began his speech with the issue of the Special Category Status, spoke for a brief while in English directed at Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, but later mounted full scale attack on the TDP government accusing it of indulging in corruption that was unprecedented in its scale.
“I supported the TDP and the BJP parties during the general elections held in 2014 with a hope that they would rebuild the State which had no Capital and no financial resources. But the State government has belied my hopes and the aspirations of crores of people. Why should I support these parties which had betrayed the people,’’ he asked.
Centre ridiculed
Mr. Kalyan said the outright rejection of SCS was against the Constitution as at stake was the implementation of A.P. Reorganization Act which was enacted in the Parliament when the BJP was in the Opposition.
He asserted that if the Central government so blatantly violated the law, there was no reason for the State to toe its line.
He recalled that it was on the basis of its “one vote-two States” resolution that the BJP had endorsed bifurcation. The BJP has now changed its tack for reasons to be explained to the people, who believed that justice would be done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
