AP Polls: Will Jana Sena Contest Elections on TDP’s Poll Symbol?

After Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena decided to sail with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the 2024 Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, the question on everyone’s mind is will Jana Sena contest the elections on it’s own poll symbol. 

As the people of the state are largely unaware of Jana Sena’s poll symbol, it’s learnt that the party is discussing a proposal to contest the elections on it’s ally TDP’s bicycle poll symbol. The proposal further says that the pre-poll alliance will remain, so both the allies will know their elected MLAs. 

It’s worth mentioning here that the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission had contested the 2019 assembly elections on the glass tumbler symbol and the party secured only 5.3 percent votes. Later, the poll symbol was moved by the Elections Commission to the list of free symbols list meaning other recognised and new parties may use it. 

If we look back, the TDP had formed an alliance with the Maneka Gandhi-led Sanjay Vichar Manch (SVM) party in the 1983 assembly elections. The four candidates of SVM contested the elections with the support of TDP ally on its poll symbol -- bicycle. 

However, the proposal has caused a vertical split among the leaders of Jana Sena. The opponents of the proposal think that contesting the election on a common poll symbol would eventually lead to the merger of their party in the TDP. 

While some have apprehensions about the political tactics of Chandrababu Naidu who had backstabbed his own father-in-law and party’s founder late NT Rama Rao and hijacked his political legacy and party. A few Jana Sena leaders seem to be adamant on going to polls on the party's own poll symbol. 

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