Vijayawada: After several days of speculation over which party he will join, former CBI joint director V.V. Lakshminarayana has joined the Jana Sena. Mr Lakshminarayana was all set to join the Telugu Desam (TD). But after he met Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan late Saturday night, he joined the JS on Sunday, giving the TD a jolt.
Mr Lakshminarayana said he had wanted to work with Mr Pawan in 2014, but due to family issues he could not. "I am happy to join the JS now," he said. Politics is mixed with money but Mr Pawan is introducing "zero money politics" under new age politics to change the system, and hence he is joining the Jana Sena, Mr Lakshminarayana said.
After taking voluntary retirement from the CBI, Mr Lakshminarayana had toured the state extensively and participated in several programmes sponsored by the BJP. That set off rumours that he would join that party. Later he refuted this and announced that he is planning to start a new political party.
Next there were rumours that he would join the Lok Satta. Most recently, it looked like he would join the Telugu Desam with AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu querying what is wrong if he does join the TD.
The Saturday night meeting with Mr Pawan in Vijayawada seems to have clinched the deal with the Jana Sena, which has quite shocked the TD leadership.
According to Jana Sena sources, Mr Pawan wants to field Mr Lakshmin-arayana from Kurnool or Nandyal in Rayalaseema, but he is wishing Mr Lakshminarayana himself wants to stand for the Lok Sabha from Visakh-apatnam or Kakinada.
Mr Pawan lamented the fact that it takes `200 crore to contest the seat of a Member of Parliament and at least `50 crore to contest an MLA seat and so the Jana Sena is adopting zero budget politics to reform this corrupt political system. He said he had discussed politics with Mr Lakshminarayana during the formation of the Jana Sena and had invited him to join the party, which has come true today.
Mr Lakshminarayana said that his and Pawan Kalyan’s ideology is similar. Confidence and knowledge in one person is rare and it is present in Pawan Kalyan and hence he has joined the Jana Sena to reform society.
He said that one and one is not two but eleven and he and Pawan are going to bring about change with the cooperation of the youth.
Former vice chancellor of Sri Krishna Devaraya University, Prof Rajgopal, also joined the Jana Sena on the same day.
