It appears that Jana Sena Party president and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan is determined to transform his Pithapuram Assembly constituency into an impregnable stronghold for his party, leaving no scope for any other party to exert control over it.
However, the biggest hurdle for Pawan Kalyan is senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader SVSN Varma, who represented the Pithapuram Assembly constituency as an independent between 2014 and 2019. He later joined the TDP and helped establish it as a stronghold for the party.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, the TDP initially indicated to Varma that he would be its candidate from Pithapuram. However, Pawan Kalyan chose the seat for himself.
Since the TDP contested the elections in alliance with the Jana Sena Party and the BJP, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu persuaded Varma to relinquish the seat, assuring him that he would be made an MLC later.
Varma later played a key role in Pawan Kalyan’s victory but has yet to receive the promised MLC post. This has fueled speculation that Pawan Kalyan might be deliberately preventing Varma’s political growth in Pithapuram.
Adding to this, a cold war has been brewing between TDP and Jana Sena Party workers in Pithapuram, with Varma becoming a target for Jana Sena cadres. The tension became evident during the recent Jana Sena Foundation Day rally in Pithapuram.
Pawan’s brother, Nagababu, who secured an MLC position while Varma was sidelined, stated that Pawan’s victory was solely due to the people of Pithapuram and mocked those who claimed credit for it. This statement was widely interpreted as a jibe at Varma and has reportedly angered him.
According to sources, Nagababu’s remarks were not made casually but were part of a larger strategy to sideline Varma in Pithapuram.
Reports suggest that Pawan Kalyan is planning to appoint Nagababu as the party in-charge of the constituency and strengthen the party’s network there.
Nagababu has been actively visiting Pithapuram and is said to be directly engaging with officials, ensuring that they do not heed Varma’s requests or recommendations for constituency-related matters.
“Clearly, Pawan Kalyan wants to diminish Varma’s influence in the constituency and render him politically insignificant. Even if Varma is granted the MLC seat in the coming days, he will not be allowed to interfere in constituency affairs,” a source said.
While the Jana Sena Party aims to maintain its dominance in Pithapuram, its handling of Varma’s issue could have long-term implications for its alliance with the TDP, sources said.
