Pawan Kalyan | A “power star” in politics

In the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections, actor-turned-politician and first leader of the Jana Sena Party, Konidala Pawan Kalyan, has proven that he is no “run-of-the-mill” politician.

He showed tenacity in hanging on to the political game and hit back at his critics with a 100% success rate. His party’s candidates won all 21 seats they contested, including two seats in the House of Representatives with overwhelming majorities.

Kaling made a bold announcement that he was here to stay. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was so impressed with his strength that at one meeting he called Pawan “not the wind, he is the storm.” “Pawan” means “wind” in Hindi, and so he translated it as “he is the storm.”

One of the top stars of Telugu cinema, Kalyan’s political career has been eventful ever since he launched the JSP on March 14, 2014. He faced setbacks but never gave up, just like his brother K Chiranjeevi, another superstar in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi launched the Praja Rajayam Party in 2008 but retired after his first election and merged the party with the Indian National Congress.

Kallin launched his own political party in 2014 but did not contest the general and state elections that year. He supported the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the National Democratic Alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Shortly after Andhra’s bifurcation, the NDA came to power in the remaining state of Andhra.

But in 2019, he quit the NDA and contested the elections in alliance with Left parties. The JSP could win only one seat and Kalyan himself lost in the two seats he contested. But the actor-turned-politician did not lose hope. This time he joined the NDA, laying the foundation for the alliance’s victory in the state.

In a previous interview HinduKalin said he became interested in politics during his university days and was deeply inspired by great left-wing leaders such as Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and Charu Majumdar. His vision document, “Ism,” released at the party’s launch in 2014, appears to be rooted in left-wing ideology.

Considered a “power star” of Telugu cinema, Kalyan worked tirelessly to reach out to the masses after his setbacks in 2019. His targeted campaign to address issues in Srikakulam’s Uddanam area where chronic kidney disease has become an endemic health crisis, his open support for farmers in Amaravati who were campaigning against the YSR Congress government’s decision to shift the capital from the city and numerous other campaigns brought him closer to the masses. He then launched a state-wide march in a custom-made “Varahi” vehicle, aiming to strengthen the JSP’s connect with the voters.

turning point

But the turning point came when he met TDP national president and current chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu at Rajahmundry Central Jail in September 2023. Naidu was then in custody on corruption charges. Addressing a press conference outside the jail, Kalyan announced his alliance with the TDP.

“I have been thinking whether TDP and Janasena should unite ahead of the elections. I belong to the NDA. I pray that Janasena and TDP unite in the upcoming elections to fight against YSRCP atrocities,” he said.

He made it clear that only an alliance could end the rule of the YSRCP. Kalyan is believed to have acted as a bridge between the TDP and the BJP to form a three-party alliance. He also admitted that the JSP alone could not form the government. Also, the party did not have the financial resources or support to contest all the 175 seats.

He settled for 21 seats and focused on winning them all. The gamble paid off: in the state assembly elections, the NDA coalition won 164 seats, including 21 for the JSP, while the YSRCP’s tally fell to 11 from 141 five years ago.

Pawan Kalyan, a political novice a decade ago, is today the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.