The recent announcement by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) general secretary Nara Lokesh that his father and party president N Chandrababu Naidu would become the chief minister if the TDP-Jana Sena alliance comes to power is reported to have displeased Jana Sena Party chief and actor Pawan Kalyan.
Sources suggest that Pawan Kalyan is facing significant pressure from his Kapu community not to yield easily to the TDP. The community members are looking to the Jana Sena Party as a means to achieve political power.
Community leaders are urging Pawan Kalyan not to compromise, especially on the number of seats for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, if not directly demanding the chief minister post.
Earlier reports indicated that Pawan Kalyan had agreed to 24 or 27 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats for Jana Sena during discussions with Naidu. However, after Lokesh's recent statement in an interview, asserting that there was no question of sharing the CM position and that Chandrababu would be the Chief Minister for five years, Pawan Kalyan is said to be upset.
Lokesh's statement, indicating that Pawan Kalyan had remarked that the state needed an astute leader and there is no better choice than his father for the post, reportedly hurt Pawan Kalyan deeply. This has sparked concerns among Jana Sena Party workers and Kapu leaders.
In response to the unrest, Pawan Kalyan is believed to have decided to take corrective action by demanding more seats.
The latest reports suggest that he has put forth a fresh demand before Naidu, asking for 45 assembly seats and five Lok Sabha seats. This comes as a surprise to the TDP, as Pawan Kalyan had earlier agreed to 26 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats.
“Maybe, it is a pressure tactics by Pawan to bargain for more seats. But Naidu is a shrewd politician and he knows how to arm-twist the Jana Sena Party. How the negotiations will take a turn will be interesting to see in the coming days,” sources added.