Though the caste system is publicly criticized and looked down upon, when it comes to politics, it plays a crucial role, and discussions about the fate of a candidate based on the population of a particular caste in his constituency are common. Tickets to contest are also allocated based on caste and reservations.
It is evident that TDP, Jana Sena, and Congress are dominated by the Kamma, Kapu, and Reddy communities, respectively, even though members of all castes and religions exist in each party.
Strangely, on this occasion, a considerable number of Kammas in Telangana express a desire to see Revanth 'Reddy' of Congress as the Chief Minister of Telangana State. The reason for this wish remains unclear.
On the flip side, Pawan Kalyan, the leader of Jana Sena, wholeheartedly wishes to see Chandrababu Naidu of TDP as the Chief Minister in Andhra Pradesh.
This peculiar political scenario is unfolding in the Telugu states.
Pawan Kalyan, in a strong and emphatic manner, warned his own party members to support Chandrababu Naidu, stating that those who oppose can leave his party.
He addressed his party members, saying, "Prime Minister Modi, JP Nadda, Amit Shah, and Chandrababu Naidu understood me. The leaders I nurtured don't understand. If a person like Modi can understand me, why are some leaders around me with superficial knowledge thinking differently? Those who doubt my decisions can happily go to YCP. Any level of leaders speaking against the alliance with TDP will not be tolerated. We consider such people as coverts."
The recent comments from Pawan Kalyan raise questions about how he would behave if he comes to power. If people question undemocratic policies instead of sharing power with TDP, there is a concern that they might face similar warnings.
The debate has started about whether Pawan realizes that Jana Sena leaders and workers also possess intelligence and the ability to think independently.
Criticism is pouring in, suggesting that Pawan has become a stooge of TDP, ordering everyone to carry Babu's palanquin or leave. This is seen as the reason why individuals with critical thinking like JD Lakshminarayana, Raju Raviteja, Kalyan Dileep Sunkara, and Sandeep Pasupuleti have walked out from Jana Sena. It seems individuals with critical thinking cannot tolerate Pawan Kalyan, and vice versa.
A shocking statement from Pawan Kalyan is that he negated the idea of starting PRP by his brother Chiranjeevi in 2009, fearing it would negatively impact Chandrababu Naidu. He implies that his prediction came true, and the state suffered during YSR's rule.
However, this raises the question of why Pawan vehemently criticized TDP, CBN, and Lokesh in 2018 with worst words ever. Did he forget or assume that people would have forgotten?
This suggests that if Pawan gets angry with TDP, everyone should show the same anger, and if he suddenly develops affection, everyone should reciprocate. What is Pawan thinking about the people, cadre, and party? He is unfit for politics, but it is Chandrababu's bad time that brought him good fortune, at least for a while.
Madhunandan Akkishetty
