NEW DELHI: Chandrababu Naidu, who took oath as Andhra Pradesh chief minister today, recently described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the "right leader at the right time." However, when it comes to state politics, it is Naidu's ally and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan who has emerged as the "right leader at the right time" after the just-concluded elections.
After a decade of struggle and several ups and downs, the superstar-turned-politician has finally tasted electoral success.

And that too with a near 100% strike rate. Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party won both the Lok Sabha seats it contested from Andhra Pradesh and emerged as the second largest party in the state assembly winning 21 seats.
What Pawan Kalyan and his Jana Sena Party did right

Pawan Kalyan floated Jana Sena Party in 2014 and its first election was the 2019 though in 2014, the Jana Sena Party had supported the BJP and the TDP -- the power equation that worked for Andhra Pradesh in 2024.

In 2019, Pawan Kalyan contested from two assembly constituencies -- Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram but lost both. In the face of a YSRCP wave at that time, the Jana Sena Party managed to get only 6% vote share. At that time Pawan Kalyan allied with the CPI, CPM and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

In 2020, Pawan Kalyan announced an alliance with the BJP which took a formal shape in 2024 ahead of the election as TDP, JSP and the BJP joined hands.
Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan were the two leaders from Andhra Pradesh accompanying Narendra Modi when he went to file the Lok Sabha nomination from Varanasi.

Pawan Kalyan did not switch sides but rejoined the NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. In fact, he is believed to have played a crucial role in bridging the gap between the TDP and the Kapu caste -- as TDP is traditionally known as a party of the Kamma caste.