Jana Sena, BJP agree to work closely in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: The BJP and the Jana Sena have reached a broad understanding to work together on issues concerning the people of Andhra Pradesh indicating a re-alignment in state politics.

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting between BJP working president J.P. Nadda and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan at New Delhi on Monday.

BJP’s senior leaders and general secretary (organisation) V.L. Santosh and Mr Kalyan’s close aide Nadendla Manohar were also present.

Earlier, Mr Kalyan met Mr Santosh and a few important RSS leaders in the national capital.

Sources said a delegation of BJP central leaders would visit state in next few days and make a formal announcement in this regard. The central team will also provide a direction to its state leaders vis-a-vis relations with the Jana Sena. The two parties have already been fighting, though separately, against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s decision to shift the capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.

While it is not yet known if there would be a poll pact between the two parties for the ensuing local body elections, leaders from both the parties indicated that much larger goals would be worked out and electoral understanding is just part of it. Sources said the think tank of the Jana Sena has been working on the tie-up with the BJP for the last four months. A series of meetings were held by party leaders, some even in the absence of Mr Kalyan, in which it was decided to approach the BJP central leadership and start working together from now itself. Two former IPS officers were said to have taken the initiative to get the Jana Sena and the BJP to join hands.

The state units of Sangh Parivar also did not raise any objections over the political understanding, while they vehemently opposed admitting the Telugu Desam back to its fold, sources added.