Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan met Lok Satta founder Jayaprakash Narayan in Hyderabad on Thursday.
This meeting came just a day after Pawan expressed interest in forming a Joint Action Committee (JAC) and wished to meet like-minded person regarding the same. Pawan wished to form a JAC to address the ‘raw deal’ the state got in the Union Budget.
A state-wide bandh to protest the same was also called on Thursday. In a meeting that lasted for nearly an hour, Pawan and Jayaprakash discussed a few issues.
Pawan later told the media that they would announce their future course of action only after further discussion. Both said that the JAC would also consider joining hands with the Telangana JAC as the interests of both states were neglected and promises made in Parliament to both states were ignored.
"The people are discontent and there is evidence for that. There were promises ranging from industries to the railway zone, but nothing has come true," Jayaprakash said.
When asked if it was not too late to take up the issue and form a committee, Pawan replied that it was never too late to do so. “For protecting the interests of the both Telugu states, we will work with all parties," he said.
YSRCP spokesperson and Secretary Arun Kumar, however, dubbed the meeting as "drama", and said TDP was pulling the strings.
"Pawan is never consistent. He has 10 different versions on Special Category status," he told TNM. He also accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of "staging" the JAC formation. Pawan had campaigned for the TDP-BJP alliance during the 2014 elections.
Coming down heavily on Pawan, Arun asked why he could not question the TDP MLAs himself now. “He must ask TDP MPs to resign and leave the Union Government,” Arun said.
He also demanded to know why Pawan could not join the existing Andhra Joint Action Committee. He also stated that Jayaprakash never spoke about the state’s special status in the previous four years.