Amravati: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan has admitted that he felt jealous of the success of actor-turned-CM and TVK chief Vijay in Tamil Nadu.
Pawan made the statement at a public event on Monday while reflecting on his 15-year political journey. Addressing his party members, Kalyan remarked that observing Tamil Nadu politics these days makes him feel like others have it easier, reported NDTV.
“I was watching Tamil politics recently. They did politics so effortlessly and comfortably. How easily they managed it! They did it so smoothly that it actually made me jealous. Just by setting up cutouts, they won. Isn’t that right? It’s so nice, just by using cutouts and holograms, they beautifully went on to become Chief Ministers. But as for me, even after being dragged on the streets for 15 years... Yeah, alright, I know, I know,” he said, laughing it out.
"Managing a political party means uniting hundreds of thousands of people. We can't even get our own family members to agree on a single thing," he added.
Notably, he had earlier rejected direct comparisons between the politics and leadership of the neighbouring southern states.
Pawan Kalyan's political journey
Pawan Kalyan founded the Janasena Party in 2014. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party won just one seat. Kalyan also lost in both constituencies he contested.
However, the party made a quick comeback in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections, emerging as a decisive force in the TDP-BJP-JSP "Kutami" (NDA) alliance. His party contested all 21 Assembly seats, achieving a rare 100% success rate by winning every constituency it contested.
He also won from the Pithapuram constituency by more than 70,000 votes, marking his first Assembly victory.
