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Jana Sena's First Win in Telangana Hailed as Seed for Future Growth

The Jana Sena party, led by Pawan Kalyan, has won its first two municipal council seats in Telangana, marking its electoral entry into the state where it was originally founded. The party contested over 300 seats independently after the BJP decided against an alliance. While the wins are modest, party leaders highlight that Jana Sena candidates secured second or third place in dozens of other wards. The elections were shadowed by controversy, as Pawan Kalyan's cancelled campaign trip followed demands for an apology from Telangana leaders over his past remarks about the state.

Key Points: Jana Sena Wins Seats in Telangana, Pawan Kalyan Sees First Step

  • Wins first two municipal seats in Telangana
  • Outperformed major parties in 16% of contested wards
  • Contested independently after BJP alliance snub
  • Campaign visit cancelled amid controversy over remarks
  • Party part of NDA, shares power in Andhra
3 min read

Jana Sena has taken first step in Telangana, says Pawan Kalyan

Pawan Kalyan says Jana Sena's municipal election wins in Telangana lay a foundation for the party's future, despite campaign controversy.

Jana Sena has taken first step in Telangana, says Pawan Kalyan
"They laid a foundation for a strong future of the party in Telangana, noting that even a big tree grows from a tiny seed. - Pawan Kalyan"

Hyderabad, Feb 15

By winning two seats in municipal elections in Telangana, the Jana Sena has taken the first step in the land where it took birth, party President and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said on Sunday.

He congratulated Aruri Vijayalakshmi and Aggu Sagar, who were elected as a councillor and a corporator, respectively.

The Jana Sena, which contested 332 seats in the recently held elections, won a seat each in a municipality and a corporation.

Vijayalakshmi has been elected from one of the wards in Nereducharla Municipality in Nalgonda district.

Aggu Sagar has been elected as a corporator in Mancherial Municipal Corporation.

Pawan Kalyan said they laid a foundation for a strong future of the party in Telangana, noting that even a big tree grows from a tiny seed.

According to Jana Sena's Telangana unit leaders, the party candidates came second in five places and third in 47 wards.

They said the Jana Sena outperformed all or one of the top three parties in 16 per cent (54) of contested wards.

Ruling Congress, and the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the top three parties in Telangana.

Jana Sena is a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The party led by the actor-politician is sharing power with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the BJP in Andhra Pradesh.

The Jana Sena fielded the candidates in Telangana municipal elections on its own after the BJP made it clear that it would not have an alliance with any party.

Contesting wards in 11 districts, the maximum number of candidates fielded by the party was 48 in Nizamabad district, followed by 46 in Nalgonda, 44 in Mahabubnagar, and 39 in Adilabad.

Elections for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations in Telangana were held on February 11.

Jana Sena had announced that Pawan Kalyan will campaign for Jana Sena and BJP candidates on February 7 and 8.

However, the visit was cancelled. While the sources in Jana Sena said that it was cancelled because of a minor health issue, it triggered speculation that it could be because of some remarks made by Pawan Kalyan about Telangana in December last year.

Telangana Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had warned that Pawan Kalyan's movies would not be allowed to be released in theatres in Telangana if he failedto apologise over his "insulting" remarks about Telangana.

The Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister had blamed the "evil eye" for "dying" coconut trees in the development of the Konaseema region, known for lush green fields. He was apparently referring to the bifurcation of the state.

Leaders of different parties in Telangana had demanded an apology from Pawan Kalyan.

The Jana Sena had said that the statement of its leader was distorted.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Good to see a party trying to expand its base. Coming second in five places shows there is some traction. But honestly, with Congress, BRS, and BJP being so strong, Jana Sena has a long road ahead. They should build a strong local leadership instead of relying only on Pawan's star power.
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Vikram M
The cancellation of his campaign tour says a lot. You can't make insensitive remarks about a state's development and then expect a warm welcome. Telangana people are proud of their state's progress. Jana Sena needs to first mend fences and show genuine respect for Telangana's identity if they want to grow here.
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Anjali F
From a tiny seed to a big tree... that's the spirit! Congrats to the winners Vijayalakshmi and Sagar. Winning at the grassroots level is the real test. Hope they work hard for their wards and people see the difference. More options for voters is always good for democracy. 👍
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Karthik V
Interesting to see the NDA dynamics play out. BJP contests alone, Jana Sena contests alone, but they are allies in Andhra. This shows how political equations change state by state. Smart move by Jana Sena to test the waters on their own in Telangana. The 16% stat where they outperformed a top party is the real takeaway.
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Michael C
As an observer, the threat to ban movies over political comments seems extreme. Art and politics should be separate. That said, Pawan Kalyan's statement was poorly worded. Development should be the focus for all parties, not divisive

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