Prof K Nageshwar: The Political Enigma Called Pawan Kalyan

The actor turned politician Pawan Kalyan continues to be the cynosure of Andhra Pradesh politics despite poor electoral performance. His political flip flops, intermittent breaks to his political innings, wavering stand on host of issues make up to his political enigma. The ghost of Prajarajyam continues to haunt.

Pawan Kalyan who is fond of claiming ideological firmness has moved from one end of the spectrum to the other. In 2014 , he was with TDP, BJP primarily through the saffron initiative. Subsequently he broke away from NDA to briefly join hands with the Left in 2019.

His travel into the saffron parivar is agonizing to not only to his critics but even to his admirers. Political circles often call this as a transition from Che Guevara to Veer Savarkar.

But, political alliances are not uncommon in India and Pawan Kalyan cannot be faulted for this. However in a new entrant into politics, people hoped for a new political culture devoid of such ideological somersaults inspired by political expediency.

His volatile stand on Kapu question is baffling. The TDP and the YCP are known for politically using Kapu question. But, Pawan Kalyan who never wishes to present himself as a community icon, in fact not really so, is unable to extricate himself from Kapu cauldron.

The man who once projected himself as a messiah of special status has now become more or less silent as he embraces the BJP. The people of Andhra Pradesh cannot still forget his scathing attack on political establishment be it ruling or opposition on the betrayal of special status cause.

Pawan Kalyan who started his party calling it a 25 year odyssey refuses to seriously focus on the organizational work despite entering in the electoral arena in 2019. The crushing defeat he suffered both politically and personally did not wake him up to the need to build a robust political machine.

His continued journey on both political and filmy platforms cannot be the only one reason for such an organizational shortcoming. But, the result is desertion of many leaders from the Janasena party.

The increased inertia in his political activity ever since he allied with BJP cannot be explained by the Covid-19 limitations alone.

By — Prof K Nageshwar