Despite sacrificing his seat in the Pithapuram Assembly constituency for Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, former MLA and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader S. V. S. N. Varma has yet to be granted the promised MLC seat by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu.
This delay has sparked speculation among Varma’s supporters that Pawan Kalyan might be pressuring Naidu not to offer the MLC seat to Varma.
They allege that the Jana Sena chief wants to avoid the emergence of an alternative power center in Pithapuram and aims to maintain full control over the constituency.
However, Jana Sena leaders have dismissed these claims.
On Saturday, Jana Sena leader Kranti Barlapudi — daughter of YSRCP leader Mudragada Padmanabham — strongly refuted the rumors, asserting that the decision on Varma’s MLC nomination is strictly an internal matter of the TDP and that Pawan Kalyan has no involvement in it.
Kranti suggested that Varma’s actions might be inadvertently aiding the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
“There are reports that Varma is in contact with the YSRCP, and their media platforms are amplifying his grievances. Perhaps that is why Naidu has not given him the MLC seat,” she said.
She emphasized Pawan Kalyan’s pivotal role in supporting the TDP during challenging times, including his efforts to bring the BJP into the alliance.
She also reminded that Pawan Kalyan made significant sacrifices regarding ticket allocations, which drew criticism, yet he remained committed to the success of the coalition.
Kranti accused Varma of attempting to undermine Pawan Kalyan’s growing influence and warned that Pithapuram has already accepted Pawan as a strong and emerging leader.
