Pawan Kalyan to help JDS win votes in Karnataka

The

JDS

needs a strong breeze at its back going into the upcoming assembly elections, and it's hoping the star power of actor Pawan Kalyan will provide just that. In order to grab votes on the

Karnataka-Andhra-Telangana

border, including the

Balija

community votes, they have roped in Pawan to win some seats in these areas.

When Chiranjeevi started his own party, Prajarajyam, he campaigned in the Telugu belt here in Karnataka. In the last assembly election, the Congress party invited him to campaign in the Telugu and Balija belt, which has a large Telugu population.

The JDS has been out of power for a while, and the number of their MLAs has also plummeted. JDS MLC and film producer CR Manohar is Pawan's friend and he is also planning to produce a Telugu movie with the star. In the process of getting the film green-lit, he met Pawan and asked him if he would lend the JDS a hand. After supporting PM Narendra Modi, Pawan, who is chief of the Jana Sena party, also campaigned for the BJP in Karnataka in the last parliamentary elections. The JDS is hoping he can help them do well along the border.

'I know Kalyan and I met him to discuss film-related issues and with that I also discussed his supporting the JDS. Kalyan is a big name in Karnataka, and in the border districts, he is a real hero. I am also a JDS leader and I want my party to do well. So, I spoke to him and he also showed interest. Now, we have sit and talk about the details. I have spoken of this with HD Kumaraswamy and he has also spoken to Pawan over the phone. Soon, both will meet personally and decisions will be made,' Manohar said.

The border from

Bidar

and

Ballari

to Kolar and

Chikkballapura

has a huge number of Telugu voters and they are big fans of Telugu stars. The JDS believes that it's currently weak in the border districts, where its base is not as strong as that of the Congress and the BJP, and they're hoping that Pawan can rectify that. Pawan belongs to the Balija community, so bringing him could boost support from that community.