Hyderabad, June 2, 2026 — Jana Sena Party (JSP) president and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday announced his party’s intention to contest the upcoming Telangana Assembly elections, signaling a significant expansion of the party’s political footprint beyond Andhra Pradesh. Speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad, Kalyan clarified that while the JSP would field candidates in Telangana, he was uncertain whether alliance partners BJP and TDP would join the effort in the neighbouring state.
Kalyan’s announcement comes in the wake of the newly formed NDA alliance in Andhra Pradesh, where his role was pivotal in brokering support from the BJP for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and JSP, leading to the ousting of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP in the December 2023 Assembly elections. Despite past electoral setbacks in Telangana—where the JSP contested eight Assembly seats and five Lok Sabha seats in 2023 and 2019 respectively without success—Kalyan expressed confidence in expanding the party’s presence. He hinted at potential alliances with Telangana-based parties, including K. Kavitha’s newly launched Telangana Rashtra Sena.
Addressing concerns over the timing of his political outreach, Kalyan defended his decision to hold public meetings in Telangana, asserting that political engagement should not be restricted by territorial claims. “Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi can go to Wayanad or anywhere and contest, but I cannot? Do they think Telangana is their fiefdom?” he questioned. Kalyan also underscored his emotional bond with Telangana and reiterated his commitment to the region’s welfare, citing a recent donation of ₹30 crore to the Lord Anjanaya temple at Kondagattu. He dismissed objections from local leaders, including Telangana Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud, and affirmed his resolve to tour the state personally.
However, the JSP’s plans faced administrative hurdles on the eve of the announcement. The party had sought police permission to hold a meeting at Sandhya Convention Ground in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, but was denied on grounds related to the 12th Telangana Formation Day. The police cited potential escalation of tensions stemming from a controversy involving political analyst and former Telangana MLC K. Nageshwar, who had alleged that Kalyan approached Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek the arrest of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Both Kalyan and the JSP denied the claim and filed FIRs against Nageshwar, who later apologized and withdrew his remarks. The police stated that the controversy had already created acrimony between people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, raising concerns over public order.
On the same day, Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka addressed the State Formation Day celebrations in Khammam, outlining ambitious economic and welfare goals. Vikramarka announced plans to scale Telangana’s economy from the current $200 billion to $1 trillion by 2034 and $3 trillion by 2047. He highlighted the government’s integrated development strategy, categorizing the state’s economy into three segments: “Cure, Pure, and Rare,” to drive structured growth. Among the welfare initiatives, he announced the launch of a free nutritious breakfast scheme for government school students from pre-primary to Intermediate level starting in the 2026–27 academic year. In Khammam district alone, 61,065 children across 1,187 schools and 6,300 Intermediate students will benefit from this scheme alongside mid-day meals.
Vikramarka also pointed to the success of the “Every Child Reads” initiative in Khammam, which improved students’ reading capacity from 11% to 85%. The state’s green energy and women empowerment initiatives aim to produce 20,000 MW of renewable energy and attract ₹2 lakh crore in investments by 2030. Additionally, plans are underway to install 58 MW solar panels on 2,718 government buildings in Khammam district. The government has already disbursed ₹60,000 crore in bank-linked loans to women self-help groups (SHGs) within the first two and a half years, against a five-year target of ₹1 lakh crore. In Khammam, an interest subsidy of ₹57.15 crore was released to 52,059 SHGs.
The dual narratives of political expansion and developmental ambition marked the day, reflecting both the competitive dynamics of electoral politics and the state’s ongoing commitment to inclusive growth and social justice.
