Jana Sena will contest elections in Telangana: Pawan Kalyan

Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday, June 02, 2026, made a stunning announcement that his party will contest the Telangana Assembly elections in 2029, turning a rejected public meeting into a political flashpoint.

Addressing a press conference at his residence in Jubilee Hills, Mr. Pawan Kalyan strongly asserted that JSP will not retreat from Telangana. He dared to “touch it” by combining threats from his critics with the intimidation faced by the YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh. “Is Telangana your jagir? I stay here, you can come and attack me,” he said, emphasizing that his love for Telangana is long-standing and that he is not politically opportunistic.

The JSP chief accused Congress leaders of indulging in divisive rhetoric and urged the Center to intervene. He said the way his critics target him requires national attention because such comments are aimed at creating differences among people. With leaders like Indira Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi contesting uncontested in constituencies outside their home states, Congress demanded accountability from its leaders and questioned how they could oppose its entry into Telangana.

In his carefully worded speech coinciding with the Telangana Formation Day celebrations, Mr. Pawan Kalyan targeted the Congress Party while praising Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) founder K. Chandrashekhar Rao and specifically avoiding any reference to the BJP. He attacked Congress leaders for opposing him “tooth and nail” and demanded responses to the statements of some Congress voices praising Pakistan during TV debates.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan also expressed his displeasure over the repeated targeting of people of Andhra origin. “How long will you continue to harass the people of Andhra? How would they live here if they were not welcome?” he asked. He clarified that he was not against Telangana itself but the way bifurcation was carried out behind closed doors in Parliament in 2014. He reiterated that JSP would be the first to raise its voice if Telangana was betrayed and emphasized that its love for the State was born out of genuine love and devotion, not votes.

Addressing the controversy over political analyst K. Nageshwar’s statements, the JSP leader clarified that he had no personal role in the FIRs filed despite the harsh reaction from party cadres. He disputed the allegations regarding the farmhouse, promising to hand it over to the government if proven illegal and expressed respect for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

He recalled his association with the late revolutionary balladeer Gaddar and criticized the parties for ignoring him when he suffered a bullet injury. He took the opportunity to underline his respect for Telangana culture by highlighting that JSP had donated crores to the Kondagattu temple in Jagtial district. He reminded that JSP was born in Telangana and its youth leaders have been active since 2007-08. He stated that while his entry into politics was opposed in Andhra Pradesh, the people of Telangana welcomed his Varahi Yatra with open arms.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan emphasized that JSP will never be afraid of threats or criticism. “Would I have started a party in Hyderabad if I was scared?” he asked. He stressed that “Telangana will remain in my heart” even if his opponents curse him. He compared the current intimidation with YSRCP’s threats in Andhra Pradesh and said they were much more severe.

Concluding the 50-minute press conference, Mr. Pawan Kalyan announced that Jana Sena will contest the 2029 Telangana Assembly elections and continue to expand its presence across the state.