Pawan Kalyan raised his voice to demand the special status for Andhra Pradesh. He announced a fast unto death until the centre grants them what they want. This announcement came in front of a crowd gathered at the grounds opposite the Acharya Nagarjuna Plaza on March 14th, 2018.
The occasion was Jana Sena’s Formation Day and he promised that it wouldn’t affect Andhra Pradesh’s youth. Instead, he would be the one who would be making the sacrifice. The actor-turned-politician said not granting the state the special status was an ‘injustice’. He said that both the TDP and YSRC government are scared of the BJP-led centre.
Kalyan’s stand was that the state didn’t have to follow the laws when their promises were not being met. But a fast unto death one would think would be quite a big gamble, but such is Kalyan’s conviction. His speech specifically addressed Arun Jaitley. He declared that he would wage battle from Amravati against the centre. He definitely gathered a crowd for his address, a minor stampede occurred injuring 10 people. Kalyan didn’t leave the Chandrababu government out of his speech, he accused the government of turning Andhra Pradesh into a corrupt state. Of course, he’s gearing up for the 2019 elections.
In the 2014 elections, he had supported both BJP and TDP. This was a compelling speech as a politician, not really shedding his hero image but drawing on it for the presence he commands. Jana Sena will also be contending in the 2019 elections. Whether he’ll be a dependable politician is still to be tested. But first, he’ll have to come true on his declaration of his fast and the outcome will decide what way he’s headed in the elections. Declarations are something politicians are known for but delivering has always been their issue so far, will he be worth the faith?