In 2014, Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP) had supported the BJP-TDP alliance, and helped it come to power in the State by defeating the YSRCP by a slender margin in the overall vote percentage.
After three years, the JSP withdrew its support to the alliance. In 2019, the JSP made its electoral debut by entering into an alliance with the Left parties.
It, however, suffered a severe drubbing in the elections as it could win just one Assembly seat and drew a blank as far as the Lok Sabha seats are concerned. Mr. Pawan Kalyan himself could not win from the two Assembly constituencies he was in the fray.
For the local body elections, the JSP has tied up with the BJP. The alliance looks good on paper.
Challenging task
Given the short campaign period of seven days, it is facing a challenge in making its stand clear on local issues as well as on the government’s decision to make Visakhapatnam the Executive capital, as in principle both the parties are opposed to it.
Senior leaders in the alliance, however, are sceptical about the outcome for which both the parties have joined hands – to scuttle the YSRCP march. A few leaders are of the view that the JSP-BJP alliance may harm the TDP more as its votes may be split, benefiting the YSRCP the most.
“In 2014, when the TDP won, its vote share over the YSRCP was slender, and the difference was due to the JSP’s support. In 2019, the TDP had lost the elections. The withdrawal of support by the JSP had an impact on the TDP’s vote share. In the local body elections, the alliance is likely to cause more harm to the TDP than the YSRCP,” observed a senior JSP leader.
In 2007 when election was conducted for the 72-ward Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, the total electorate was close to 12 lakh. The Congress had won majority of the wards then. This time round, the number of wards has gone up to 98, and the electorate is close to 18 lakh.
With the chances of the Congress regaining ground not bright, the fight is between the TDP, the YSRC and BJP-JSP combine.
“In any triangular contest, one party gains from the loss of the other parties. In this case, the YSRCP may be at an advantage,” said a senior BJP leader.
‘Target 2024’
But what is to be read from the alliance is its experimental value. In 2014, the BJP-JSP combine worked well for TDP. Keeping that in mind, the BJP, which is keen on getting a foothold in the State, is experimenting by tying up with the JSP.
“Our target is not the local polls. Our aim is to win the 2024 general elections,” said a senior JSP leader.
