Has ‘Quid-pro-quo’ between TDP-JS confirmed?

Rumors over ‘secret deal’ between the ruling Telugu Desam headed by Nara Chandrababu Naidu and the Jana Sena spearheaded by actor-turned politician, Pavan Kalyan, gaining currency in Andhra Pradesh, where campaigning come to close on Tuesday for the assembly and Lok Sabha polls scheduled on April 11.

TDP chief’s decision to skip Gajuwaka on Sunday, while his whirl-wind campaigning in the Steel City, has strengthened the rumors over the secret deal between the two parties. Many who suspect of this deal real argue citing the Jana Sena leader’s decision not to campaign in Mangalagiri in Guntur district, where the TDP chief’s son Nara Lokesh is contesting.

Pavan Kalyan is contesting from Gajuwaka (Visakhapatnam) and Bheemavaram (West Godavari) assembly constituencies and the TDP chief conveniently skipped both the constituencies and apparently got assurance from Pavan Kalyan not to campaign in Mangalagiri, where his son ‘testing’ for the first time his political waters in a direct election. Nara Lokesh, who was inducted into the cabinet last year by Naidu was made an MLC later to fulfill the mandatory requirement to become a minister.

YSRCP leader Botsa Satyanarayana wondered what more proof needed to expose the ‘secret deal’ between these two parties. “We had been suspecting this right from the beginning. Naidu, who is scared to lose the polls, propped up Pavan Kalyan to enter political fray. But, their ‘secret deal’ cannot stop the ‘Jagan’s juggernaut’ from winning. Their defeat is already written on the walls of the state,” he claimed.

But, this was stoutly denied by the Jana Sena’s Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha candidate V V Lakshminarayana. He said there is no quid pro quo as being alleged by the YSRCP. He said, Pavan Kalyan, chose not to campaign in Mangalagiri as he is confident of the party candidate’s victory is foregone conclusion. Similarly, Naidu too might have thought in case of Gajuwaka, where his party candidate’s chances may be bleak against Pavan Kalyan.