Jana Sena Party chief and actor Pawan Kalyan appears to be concerned as the stage is being set for the joining of veteran Kapu leader and former minister Mudragada Padmanabham and his family members into the YSR Congress party soon.
Adding to his worries is the defection of former MP and Kapu Samkshema Sena chief Chegondi Harirama Jogaiah’s son Chegondi Suryaprakash into the YSRCP recently.
Both Mudragada and Chegondi have launched a scathing attack on Pawan for betraying the trust of the Kapu community and aligning with Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, settling for just 24 assembly seats.
Obviously, both Kapu leaders have the potential to split the Kapu votes in favor of the YSRCP and influence their voting pattern, to some extent at least. This could prove costly for Jana Sena in the Godavari districts.
On Thursday, Pawan indirectly criticized Mudragada and Jogaiah for choosing to support the YSRCP.
“Until recently, these senior leaders were advising me on various political matters. They attempted to influence me during seat-sharing negotiations with the TDP. And now, they are aligning with the YSRCP,” he remarked.
He emphasized that he did not seek anybody’s advice regarding seat acceptance and candidate selection.
“They have no right to speak about Kapu reservations, as they failed to achieve them in the last five years,” Pawan stated.
However, Pawan Kalyan tried to maintain a bold stance on the defection of Mudragada and Jogaiah’s son to the YSRCP.
He reportedly informed party leaders that these leaders did not represent the Kapu community and were joining the YSRCP for their personal gains.
