Janasena has come down heavily on YSRCP leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, terming them politically motivated and baseless. Minister Nadendla Manohar, addressing the government on behalf of Janasena, lambasted Jagan, saying that his frustration is clear after YSRCP’s huge downfall from Why Not 175 to bagging a mere 11 seats in the latest elections. He mocked Jagan’s announcement of following German law in Andhra Pradesh as impractical and deceptive.
Making a scathing reference to the former CM, Manohar referred to Jagan as a “Work-from-Bangalore MLA,” saying that whereas other leaders are active among their people, Jagan doesn’t attend Assembly sessions and does not even stay in his constituency. He wondered how a leader who is present in Bengaluru for most of the time could address the problems of the people of Andhra Pradesh.
Manohar also alleged that Jagan is targeting Pawan Kalyan deliberately for political reasons and said that although Janasena can respond aggressively, the party prefers to maintain dignity in political discourse. He warned that irresponsible statements would not be ignored and reminded Jagan that leadership involves responsibility and accountability.
In the meantime, during a press meet at Tadepalli, Jagan was unhappy that YSRCP was not accorded opposition party status. He said that according to seat share, YSRCP doesn’t make the cut, sarcastically remarking that if opposition status were decided on the basis of percentage of votes, then Pawan Kalyan might as well pack his bags for Germany. He went on to take a dig at Pawan, remarking that winning an MLA seat for the first time makes him “more than a corporator but less than an MLA.”
Jagan’s comments have prompted a stinging reaction from Janasena and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as well. Leaders Nadendla Manohar and Nara Lokesh have criticized his comments sharply, adding fuel to the current political war in Andhra Pradesh.