The entry of retired IPS officer and former joint director of Central Bureau of Investigation V V Lakshminarayana into Jana Sena Party headed by actor Pawan Kalyan on Sunday, at a time when there was a talk that he would actually join the Telugu Desam Party, came as a surprise to many.
The general impression one would get from the development is that Lakshminarayana had to join the Jana Sena Party after he did not get any assurance for the party ticket from TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
There were reports that Naidu is likely to field Lakshminarayana from Bhimili assembly constituency and shift his son Nara Lokesh to Visakhapatnam (north). Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who is representing Bhimili at present, will be fielded from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency.
But after Naidu announced the candidates’ list, Lakshminarayana has apparently realized that he is not going to get the TDP ticket. Since he is very serious about contesting the elections, he had no other choice but to join the Jana Sena in the presence of Pawan Kalyan.
However, there is a talk in the political circles that JD’s entry into the Jana Sena Party is just a strategic move. Apparently, Naidu realized that there would be more damage than benefit to the TDP if Lakshminaryana joins the party and contests elections.
The YSR Congress party already started negative propaganda that Lakshminarayana had already been in nexus with Naidu in foisting cases against YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in 2012 and sending him to jail.
The recent letter released by Naidu, purported to have been written by former Enforcement Director Karnal Singh to former CBI director Alok Varma in May 2017 exposing a quid pro quo deal involving Jagan was also attributed to Naidu-JD nexus.
In a bid to avoid this controversy, Naidu did not give him the party ticket. However, he reportedly showed an alternative route to JD for his political entry – that is Jana Sena Party.
According to an unwritten agreement, JD will contest on JSP ticket in the LS polls and the TDP will support him indirectly.
If JD wins, he can come back into the TDP fold later. So, it is a strategic move.
If Lakshminarayana is very sincere about his politics, he has to go hammer and tongs at Naidu and TDP during the elections. If he doesn’t make any criticism of Naidu, it clearly establishes that JD and Naidu are hand in glove!