Early Political Beginnings
Pawan Kalyan’s political journey began in 2008 when he first entered politics as the president of Yuva Rajyam, the youth wing of his brother Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party. After the party merged with Congress, Kalyan took a strategic break, eventually founding the Jana Sena Party on March 14, 2014, marking the beginning of his independent political career.
Challenging Political Landscape
Initially, Kalyan struggled to establish his political foothold. The 2019 elections proved particularly challenging, with his party winning only one MLA seat and securing just 5% of votes. He lost both constituencies he contested – Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram – which seemed to signal the potential end of his political aspirations.
Strategic Political Reinvention
Undeterred by initial setbacks, Kalyan began a systematic political revival. He launched ‘Jana Vani’ in 2022, a series of public meetings designed to connect directly with people’s grievances. When the YSRCP government cracked down on one such meeting in Visakhapatnam, it unexpectedly helped reunite him with Chandrababu Naidu.
Breakthrough in 2024
The 2024 elections marked Kalyan’s political breakthrough. He played a crucial role in forming the NDA alliance between TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena. Running a focused campaign with his ‘Varahi Vijaya Yatra’, he traveled through 34 assembly constituencies. The alliance’s strategy paid off spectacularly – Jana Sena won all 21 MLA seats and 2 MP seats it contested.
