Jana Sena asks cadre to gear up for local body polls, says Pawan Kalyan to decide seat sharing

Jana Sena Party (JSP) leaders on Wednesday directed party workers to be fully prepared for the upcoming local body elections in Andhra Pradesh, making it clear that party president and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan would have the final say on seat adjustments and allocations.

Addressing the concluding session of the party's local body elections awareness programme at Tadepalli, Civil Supplies Minister and JSP Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar said coordination committees must actively engage with workers to ensure the party contests strongly and wins wherever it fields candidates.

"The party president's direction is supreme. Discharge the responsibilities assigned to you in the coordination committees with commitment," Mr. Manohar said, adding that Mr. Pawan Kalyan would handle all matters related to seat sharing.

Mr. Manohar instructed the coordination committees to remain in active mode from Thursday and report ground-level developments to the leadership regularly. He said a special format issued by the party's central office must be filled in carefully and submitted.

He also noted that Mr. Pawan Kalyan would be available from September 15, and that meetings, consultations, and teleconferences would be held on a regular basis. Party representatives attending NDA parliamentary meetings, he said, should present only the party's policy positions, while seat-sharing matters would remain within the party president's purview.

In a separate address, Jana Sena general secretary and MSME Development Corporation chairman T. Sivashankar cautioned workers against attempts by political opponents to create divisions within the party and among alliance partners. He alleged that opponents could spread misinformation and stir disputes to weaken unity, and urged cadre to rely only on official communication from the party's central office.

Mr. Sivashankar also alleged that the YSR Congress Party could deploy money and propaganda during the local elections. He advised party workers and Veera Mahilas to stay vigilant and devise strategies suited to local conditions.

He cautioned against complacency simply because the party is part of the government, and stressed the need for coordination with senior leaders and for gaining electoral experience through the local body polls. He called on the cadre to follow Mr. Pawan Kalyan's decisions and function as a disciplined political force in the elections.