Jana Sena to throw its hat into Badvel ring, wants BJP to back it

Now that the line is clear for the Badvel bypoll, the political situation has suddenly hotted up in Kadapa district. While both the ruling YSRCP and the Opposition TDP have already announced their candidates, there are questions about who would be the candidate from the BJP-Jana Sena combine.

Sources say that the Jana Sena is determined to contest the election this time. In the Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency bypoll, the BJP had contested the poll and lost its security deposit. Though Pawan Kalyan himself campaigned on BJP’s behalf, the situation did not improve. The Jana Sena wants to contest this time and try its luck. On Wednesday, Pawan Kalyan will hold wider consultations with the party rank and file from Kadapa district on Badvel bypoll. Based on the discussions, the party would take a final call.

The Jana Sena cadre feels that the party should be given a chance to contest this time. They feel that since BJP was given the ticket to contest from Tirupati , the Jana Sena should be allowed to contest from Badvel. The party will decide on the candidate soon. The YSRCP has already decided to field Dr Dasari Sudha as its candidate. She is the wife of Dr Venkata Subbaiah, whose death necessitated the bypoll. The TDP has already announced that Obulapuram Rajasekhar, who contested and lost the 2019 elections, would be its candidate.

Issues like whether Pawan Kalyan will campaign for the party and how BJP will cooperate with the Jana Sena would also be decided soon. This has assumed significance especially in view of the supposed rift between both the BJP and the Jana Sena. The Jana Sena hopes to give a tough fight to both the TDP and the Jana Sena.