There is utter chaos in the Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP over the party’s relationship with the Jana Sena. The confusion is the result of Pawan Kalyan’s recent meeting with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in Hyderabad.
Currently, the Jana Sena is in alliance with the BJP in the state, but the Jana Sena chief and the cadre at the bottom of the line are siding with the TDP.
Although in alliance, Pawan Kalyan did not meet the BJP leaders as frequently as he met the TDP supremo. Even when Pawan Kalyan spent two days in the national capital last month and met a handful of BJP national leaders, he did not discuss cementing the alliance between the two parties but lobbied for the TDP.
He speaks more favorably of the TDP being included in the alliance than the BJP, even at his party's public meetings.
There are two arguments within the BJP: one argument in favor of carrying the TDP along and winning a couple of Assembly seats, if not the MP seats. The second argument is that when Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress is giving all MPs in Delhi, which matters more for the Central government, why should the BJP go with the TDP for a couple of MLA seats that make no significant difference?
The party leaders are divided on these two lines, while the cadre is in a state of confusion.
BJP AP unit president Somu Veerraju says that the party is officially in alliance with the Jana Sena and would like to hear from Pawan Kalyan on its continuation.
Ultimately, the leaders and the cadre are looking to Pawan Kalyan to provide clarity on the alliance and clear the confusion.
The big question haunting the saffron team is whether Pawan Kalyan, who once wanted a roadmap from the BJP, will provide this clarity to the BJP.