In Telangana, Pawan allied with the BJP for the election, leaving even the BJP leaders perplexed about the rationale of their party's alliance with Jana Sena.
Despite initially intending to contest in 32 seats, Pawan ultimately was confined for 8 seats after the alliance was formed.
On Tuesday, the Jana Sena leadership disclosed the candidates for the 8 seats, raising eyebrows as two leaders who recently defected from the BJP secured Jana Sena tickets. The remaining six candidates are also indirectly linked to BJP.
Among the new Jana Sena candidates, Mummareddy Premkumar from Kukatpally and Lakkineni Surender Rao from Kothagudem stand out. Both joined Jana Sena on the 6th of this month and secured their tickets on the 7th.
Premkumar, who previously supported TDP candidate Nandamuri Suhasini in the 2018 elections, switched to the BJP later. But knowing that the BJP has reserved the seat for Jana Sena, he ultimately joined Jana Sena.
Similarly, Lakkineni Surender Rao, formerly associated with Congress, joined the BJP last month before swiftly transitioning to Jana Sena.
This narrative becomes significant when viewed against the backdrop of Jana Sena's alliance with TDP in Andhra Pradesh. Speculation is rife that, besides Pawan Kalyan and Nadendla Manohar, all other Janasena tickets will be awarded to TDP candidates.
The fact that former BJP members swiftly secured Jana Sena tickets in Telangana bolsters the belief in a broader agreement, leading many to view this episode as merely a precursor to the real political drama expected to unfold in Andhra Pradesh.
Some voices even suggest that all Jana Sena tickets will eventually be allocated to TDP candidates, drawing parallels with the events in Telangana.
The bottom line is Jana Sena has no face value with cadre and candidates. Pawan ran his party only to help other parties but not to uplift the people who carried his party flag.