Pawan Kalyan, the Telugu film icon, has seamlessly transitioned from the glitzy world of cinema to the unpredictable realm of politics. His life story, akin to a roller-coaster blockbuster, has kept fans and political enthusiasts on the edge of their seats. Born into a family deeply entrenched in the Telugu film industry, Kalyan’s journey is a fascinating tale of determination, fame, and political intrigue.
Pawan Kalyan’s early life was far from glamorous. Growing up in a family of movie stars, he faced his share of challenges. However, these difficulties only fueled his ambition to succeed in the film industry. In 1996, he made his acting debut with “Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi,” a movie that didn’t receive critical acclaim but set the stage for his promising career. The real breakthrough came in 1998 when “Tholi Prema” catapulted him to stardom, earning him his first National Film Award for Best Actor. Next few years proved to be great for him as he established him career as a full commercial actor whose mere guest appearance could get movies to get house full.
But then, in a surprising twist, Kalyan decided to venture into politics in 2008. He campaigned for Chiranjeevi’s (his brother) Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) and in 2009 PRP won 18 assembly seats out of 294 assembly strength. Later Chiranjeevi merged PRP with Congress in August 2011.
Even after the merger, the political strength, (mainly in the Kapu Community) of Chiranjeevi stayed intact because of the huge fan following. Pawan Kalyan got an opportunity here to make his political debut. He founded the Jana Sena Party and positioned himself as the champion of common people’s issues in 2014. His entry into politics was met with immense enthusiasm, given his popularity as a film star, his association with the strong Kapu Community and his heroics to address public issues.
It’s been almost 10 years and, Kalyan’s political journey has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. Pawan Kalyan’s unpredictable behavior in political circles has proven to be a significant drawback in his political career. His actions sometimes resemble the Greek warrior Achilles, who, in the end, fought a battle that wasn’t entirely his own, causing destruction for his own interests.
One of the intriguing aspects of Kalyan’s political career is his tendency to switch alliances. In the 2014 elections, he supported the BJP-TDP alliance, which played a pivotal role in N. Chandrababu Naidu’s victory. He did not fight the elections and neither allowed any official candidate from Janasena party to contest elections. He simply campaigned for BJP and TDP alike. He took charge in crowded meetings and shouted slogans of a “Congress Mukt Bharat”. He promised his fans that he would be working as guardian angel for the next five years ensuring TDP-BJP alliance fulfills all the promises they made in 2014. The years passed and promised became a thing of the past till the time, TDP walked out of NDA alliance. As time passed, Kalyan’s relationship with both the parties soured, and he accused them of failing to fulfill their promises.
He adopted the persona of Legendary Comandante Che Guevara and his fans went crazy over the idea of having a leader who believes in socialism and also talks about accountability. During this time, in many political meetings the personality of Pawan kalyan was portrayed as Che Guevara. The images were striking a cord with youth in the state. Social media was taken over by Pawan Kalyan fans with edited photos comparing Pawan Kalyan with Che Guevara. However, this on-stage charisma and Che Guevara personification did not translate into votes.
In 2019 elections, Kalyan forged an alliance with the Left parties (as a poster child of a local Che Guevara) and the BSP, hoping to make a significant impact in the elections. Unfortunately, this alliance fell short of expectations, and Janasena secured 6% vote share and only one assembly seat. Most of their candidates, including Kalyan himself, facing defeat. The only sole MLA who won from Razole, also dumped Kalyan and joined ruling YSRCP at a later stage.
In 2020, he revisited his 2014 idea of forming a grand alliance with the BJP-TDP to challenge the dominant YSRCP. In its pursuit Kalyan threw away his persona of Che Guevara and started showing up as staunch right wing hindu activist. He also started talking about the Hindu religious beliefs in his public speeches. BJP got hint and finally he joined NDA alliance. However Pawan Kalyan did not dump his revolutionary persona completely. He now shifted from international revolutionary Che Guevara to Indian revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose. The entire branding of the party was changed. Their student wing is named as Bhagat Singh Student Union, Youth wing as Azad Yuvasena Vibhagam and Women’s wing as Jhansi Veera Mahila Vibhagam. He carefully kept his distance from TDP post his alliance with BJP.
In a surprising turn of events, Kalyan recently announced an alliance with TDP, led by Chandrababu Naidu, nearly seven months before the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections. While the BJP didn’t confirm any future actions on the same. This move raised eyebrows, given Kalyan’s previous criticisms of TDP, leaving many political observers puzzled about the motivation behind this affiliation.
Throughout his political journey, Pawan Kalyan has struggled to maintain consistency in his statements and actions, creating confusion among his supporters and providing fodder for his political adversaries. However, Kalyan’s dramatic protests, sit-ins, and rallies have managed to capture people’s attention. It remains to be seen how he responds when YSRCP leaders target him for his personal life, especially his three marriages.
Pawan Kalyan’s brother ‘actor Chiranjeevi’ have also kept his silence on the political developments with Janasena, which doesn’t go well with staunch supporters of Pawan.
Many political analysts in Andhra Pradesh are still trying to make sense of Kalyan’s decision of announcing an alliance with TDP at a time when Chandrababu is facing severe graft charges. Some believe that the corruption allegations against Naidu could provide Kalyan with an opportunity to position himself as a legitimate alternative to the ruling YSRCP. Others think that aligning with an established party like the TDP might help him secure a few seats in the 2024 elections.
It’s clear that simply relying on a leader’s charisma, a caste vote bank, and alliances doesn’t guarantee political success. These elements need to be carefully orchestrated and backed by unwavering commitment to create a viable alternative in the political landscape. Unfortunately, Pawan Kalyan seems to have struggled to understand the intricacies of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana political dynamics. His contradictory statements in both state elections are widely spread over social media but his popularity on social media is much higher than the controversies.
As the 2023 Telangana elections are approaching, Janasena has decided to contest on 32 assembly seats. In 2024 general elections ans Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections, Pawan Kalyan is yet to announce his plan. The future of Pawan Kalyan’s political career remains shrouded in uncertainty. While he enjoys immense popularity and charisma on social media and among his fans, his habit of changing his stance and priorities has left many questioning his true political intentions. Can Pawan Kalyan transform his star power into meaningful political influence? Will TDP get any mileage because of Kalyan or vice-versa? Only time will unveil the next gripping chapter in this real-life drama that has captivated the masses.
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[…] last time a politician contested from two seats in telugu states, was Pawan Kalyan in 2019 when he made a bid for seats in both Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram, but unfortunately, he faced defeat in both constituencies. In 2009, his brother Chiranjeevi also […]