Vijayawada: The Jana Sena has ruled out a poll alliance with the ruling Telugu Desam and the opposition YSR Congress. Jana Sena founder president K. Pawan Kalyan said on Thursday that his party would contest all 175 Assembly seats in AP in the 2019 Assembly elections without allying with either party.
Rumours had been circulating for some time about the Jana Sena joining hands with the TD and AP Chief Minister and TD supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu had even wondered what was wrong in such an alliance. In the past four days, the news spread fast about a TD-JS alliance. Mr Pawan on Thursday rejected these rumours and affirmed that the JS will contest all 175 seats and there would be a poll alliance with the Communist parties only.
Interacting with JS activists in the state in Vijayawada on Thursday, Mr Pawan advised them not to fall prey to the false campaign launched by the ruling and Opposition parties against the JS.
“A campaign is going on against the JS, which is aimed at creating confusion among the party workers. The Opposition camp is talking about the Jana Sena’s seat-sharing with the ruling party, while the leaders of the ruling party too are trying to destabilise us by speaking about the possible poll alliance. Please do not go by the propaganda,” he said.
Mr Pawan said the JS would field candidates from all 175 Assembly constituencies in the general election scheduled for this year. He stated that except with the Left parties, the JS was not going to forge alliance with any other political party. Referring to the 2014 general election, he said that the JS extended its support to the TD and the BJP then to ensure stability for Telugu people. “Now, we are going to strike a balance by fielding our candidates from all the 175 seats in the Assembly elections. Top priority will be accorded to women and youth and our aim is to invite more and more youngsters into politics,” he said.
Mr Pawan further advised the cadre not to go by the possible namedropping by the district-level leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, who might claim that they have already held discussions with the JS about seat sharing. He said, “We are contesting the elections alone and our aim is to protect the interests of the future generations. Conde-mn the false propaganda and take this message to the grass-root level.”
