Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan will only be a minister, or rather one of the 25 ministers in the State cabinet if the TDP and Jana Sena combine wins the 2024 general election in Andhra Pradesh.
The TDP is not even ready to offer the deputy chief minister post to the Jana Sena chief, if one goes by the statement of TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh.
Lokesh, in an interview to a news channel said that TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu would be the chief minister if they come to power. On sharing the deputy chief minister post with the Jana Sena, Lokesh said that it would be decided by the politburo of the TDP and not any other force.
This would mean that the TDP is not ready to give even the deputy chief minister post to the Jana Sena chief. Pawan Kalyan had been strongly advocating the victory of the TDP and Jana Sena in the coming elections. He wants the state to be freed from the ruling YSR Congress and wants to restore the TDP-led government.
Going by the statement of Lokesh, it is understood that the TDP is looking down at the Jana Sena, a minor partner in the alliance. The TDP might also have alliance with the two Left parties and hence the Jana Sena would be one of the alliance partners and not a major political force.
Pawan Kalyan would have to sit along with the secretaries of the CPI and CPI-M if the alliance wins power. If any of the CPI and CPI-M candidates also win the elections, they would also be part of the government and thus Pawan Kalyan too would be. He would have to share power with the TDP along with the two Left parties.
This would mean that Pawan Kalyan is not going to be the key player in the alliance and only the TDP would be deciding on who would be the ministers. This strategy of the TDP is likely to have adverse implications among the Kapu leaders who have been looking forward to a key role in the government if the combine wins the election.
It is now to be seen what the Kapu community would do if Pawan Kalyan is reduced to a nominal figure in the combine and not a key player!
