The failed political experiment of megastar Chiranjeevi by floating Praja Rajyam Party during 2009 elections is learnt to have caused considerable damage to Jana Sena Party of power star Pawan Kalyan during the just concluded general elections in Andhra Pradesh.
According to reports coming from East and West Godavari districts, though Pawan Kalyan had been in public for quite some time, taking up people’s issues in a big way, he could not succeed in winning the confidence of the people that it is an effective political alternative to the Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congress party.
The main reason for Pawan’s failure, according to these reports, was that the people still did not forget the failed experiment of Praja Rajyam Party, which his brother Chiranjeevi had floated in 2009.
By dropping the gun midway and merging his party with the Congress, the megastar had lost a golden opportunity to come to power and bring glory to his Kapu community, an analyst said.
“Had Chiranjeevi sustained his party despite the setback in 2009 elections and taken a clear political stand on various social and political issues, he would have definitely emerged as a powerful alternative to the TDP after the bifurcation. It would not have left much political space for YSR Congress party,” the analyst said.
This weak-hearted attitude of Chiranjeevi had its impact on Jana Sena Party in the recent elections.
“It was evident from the way people expressed reluctance to bet big money on Jana Sena. During the 2009 elections, hundreds of crores changed hands in the betting as Chiranjeevi had high stakes. But after the people rejected his party, they have lost faith on the mega family,” a source in Bhimavaram said.
In 2009, Chiranjeevi’s party could get nearly 17 per cent of the total polled votes.
“This time, Jana Sena might not get more than three or four per cent of votes,” the analyst said.