The just-concluded assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh have provided a good opportunity for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make its presence felt in the state, as it is expected to win three or four Lok Sabha seats and a few assembly seats.
The BJP leadership is aware that its victory, even in a few seats, is largely due to the support from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) headed by N. Chandrababu Naidu and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) headed by Pawan Kalyan.
If the alliance comes to power in the elections, the BJP will have some presence in the state for the next five years.
However, this will not help the party grow independently in Andhra Pradesh because Naidu, as chief minister, will not give local BJP leaders much influence in state politics.
Therefore, the BJP national leadership is reportedly considering leveraging Pawan Kalyan to grow as an independent force in the state.
Since Pawan Kalyan lacks the capacity or willpower to emerge as a strong political force on his own, the BJP can use him to gain ground in Andhra Pradesh.
Regardless of the election outcome, the BJP leadership has decided to continue collaborating with Pawan Kalyan in the coming years.
If the NDA comes to power, the BJP will advocate for Pawan Kalyan to be appointed as the deputy chief minister.
If the alliance does not come to power, the BJP leadership plans to promote Pawan Kalyan to the national level by offering him a Rajya Sabha seat and a position in the central cabinet.
In the long run, the BJP aims to pressure Pawan Kalyan to merge his Jana Sena Party with the BJP.
Even if Pawan Kalyan does not agree to a merger, the BJP will continue the alliance, and both parties will grow into a strong coalition and a powerful political alternative in Andhra Pradesh by 2029. There is a possibility that the TDP will decline by then.
