Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections: JSP chief Pawan Kalyan to contest from Bhimavaram, Gajuwaka

Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan will contest from two seats – Bhimavaram and Gajuwaka – in the upcoming Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections. Initially, it was reported that Kalyan would contest from Anantapuram. Gajuwaka was once a stronghold of the Praja Rajyam Party and so party workers insisted that the popular face must fight the polls there. He is also said to be popular with the youth there.

In the 2014 elections, Pawan had campaigned for the TDP-BJP alliance. He later withdrew his support from the BJP and the TDP. The Election Commission has allotted a glass tumbler as the poll symbol for the Jana Sena party.

The Jana Sena chief released the list of four parliamentary and 32 assembly constituencies on its formation day. Pawan gave priority to major communities in his first list. Pawan Kalyan will address party activists and huge gathering at formation day meeting scheduled to held on Thursday at Rajamahendravaram (Rajahmundry).

For the Lok Sabha elections, the JSP has formed an alliance with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Making the announcement about the alliance in Lucknow, Pawan said that, “We would like to see Behen ji Mayawati ji as the Prime Minister of our country, this is our wish and our ardent desire.” The BSP chief also reciprocated and said that BSP wishes Pawan to be next Andhra Chief Minister. A day before on Thursday, Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena released the first list of contestants for four of the 25 Lok Sabha and 32 of the 175 assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh.

Mayawati is leant to have given final touches to the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and discussed other important electoral issues at a party meeting. The BSP president held a meeting with important district and division-level leaders in Uttar Pradesh, a party release issued here said.

According to it, names of party candidates and other important electoral and political issues were discussed at the meeting. The decisions taken at the meeting will be carried forward after discussions with the top leadership of alliance partner Samajwadi Party (SP), the release said.