Amidst bitter political war between the ruling YSRCP and the opposition TDP, people have forgotten that there is another political party that has representation in the Andhra Pradesh state assembly.
This opposition party is – Jana Sena Party floated by power star Pawan Kalyan. It has a lone MLA Rapaka Varaprasad, who got elected from Razole assembly constituency in East Godavari district. While Pawan Kalyan himself lost the elections, Rapaka has been representing Jana Sena in the assembly.
However, Rapaka has never behaved like an opposition party MLA but has been supporting the ruling YSRC led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
At every given opportunity, he has been supporting Jagan, which is against the policy of the Jana Sena and Pawan Kalyan.
So, people have almost forgotten that Jana Sena has a representation in the assembly and they treat Rapaka more as a YSRC MLA rather than JSP MLA.’
On Saturday, Rapaka expressed anguish against his own party.
“It has been more than a year since I got elected as an MLA from Jana Sena, but the party has never bothered to acknowledge me. Pawan Kalyan has never spoken to me in the last one year. Have you ever seen me beside Pawan Kalyan in the recent past?” he asked.
He said there had been no programmes on behalf of the Jana Sena party and so, there was no way he could take part in the party activities.
“But I continue to be the Jana Sena Party MLA, since it has given me the “B” form and I had won on the party symbol,” he said.
Rapaka said he had never criticised the Jana Sena Party and had always been treated in the constituency as Jana Sena MLA.
“I am taking up developmental works in my own capacity. Since I might get some funds if I maintain friendly relations with the ruling party, I have been acting like that in the interest of the constituency people,” he explained.
On Rajya Sabha elections, Rapaka said there had been no direction or whip from the Jana Sena for whom he should vote.
“I voted according to my conscience,” he said.