In an interesting development in Jana Sena, its political affairs committee chairman, Nadendla Manohar declared his candidature for the 2024 general elections. He said he would contest the next election from the Tenali Assembly constituency.

Manohar is the first candidate from the Jana Sena to be declared for the next round of general elections. What is interesting is that he declared his candidature even though party chief Pawan Kalyan is yet to name him.

Even Pawan Kalyan has not declared his candidature and is said to be looking at various options. While he had contested unsuccessfully from Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam and Bhimavaram in West Godavari districts in the last elections, sources say that Pawan Kalyan is looking at a couple of constituencies in the East Godavari and Kakinada districts.

Manohar met his party leaders in Kollipara and other villages of Tenali Assembly constituency. Manohar had won from this constituency for two terms in 2004 and 2009 as the Congress candidate. He became the Assembly speaker in June 2011, when incumbent N Kiran Kumar Reddy became the chief minister.

After the state bifurcation, Manohar joined the Jana Sena and had been with the party since then. He contested the 2019 elections on Jana Sena ticket and secured just 29,905 votes against 2.05 lakh votes polled.

Manohar has emerged as the number two in the Jana Sena, next only to Pawan Kalyan. Though Pawan Kalyan’s brother Naga Babu is an active member of the party, Manohar continues to enjoy the goodwill of Pawan Kalyan. Perhaps, that is the reason why Manohar had declared his candidature on his own.

It is now to be seen if Pawan Kalyan would endorse this announcement giving due respect to the senior leader.