Jana Sena Party headed by power star and Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan, which made an attempt to establish its presence in Telangana, had to bite the dust in the municipal elections.
The Jana Sena Party fielded candidates in 336 seats in various municipalities and was hoping to make its presence felt in Telangana by winning at least a dozen wards. But all that it won was just one ward – at Nereducherla municipality in Suryapet district.
At one stage, the party even announced that Pawan Kalyan would campaign for the candidates. However, the proposed campaign was later cancelled due to the prevailing political situation in Andhra Pradesh.
Subsequently, Jana Sena campaigners including RK Sagar and Hyper Aadi conducted electioneering in select constituencies. But it hardly helped the party.
The only candidate who won the councillor seat was Aaruri Vijayalakshmi, who contested from Ward No. 14 in Nereducharla municipality.
She defeated her nearest rival with a margin of 60 votes. The Jana Sena Party described it as a big victory with its party leaders taking to X to express happiness and claiming that it was the beginning of Jana Sena Party growth in Telangana.
Jana Sena Party General Secretary Ram Talluri congratulated Vijayalakshmi through a post on X. He described the victory as the first step in the party’s success journey in Telangana.
Interestingly, there were potshots at Jana Sena Party on the same social media on its performance in the Telangaan municipal polls.
According to one post, a Jana Sena Party candidate Janga Komuraiah, who contested from Ward No. 4 in Sangareddy municipality, got just two votes.
He immediately approached the counting officer and demanded a recounting of votes.
“I have six members in my family, having voting right. How can I get just two votes? I want recounting,” he demanded.
The election authorities obliged his request and took up recounting. This time, it was found that he got only one vote – probably his own vote. Komuraiah had nothing to say and he quietly walked out of the counting hall with a red-face!