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Bonhomie between the two leaders was missing at Tuesday's rally in Hyderabad, reports Vicky Nanjappa.
The bringing together of Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan on stage again will only hurt the Bharatiya Janata Party's chances in the area, said leaders from the local Telangana unit.
On Tuesday, the three — Narendra Modi, BJP star campaigner Pawan Kalyan and Naidu — shared the stage during the Hyderabad rally. According to sources, bonhomie was missing among the three and the cold vibes were visible on stage.
Leaders said Kalyan refused to greet Naidu and the latter’s attempt to initiate a conversation also fared poorly. “We just hope the two are not brought together when they campaign in Seemandhra region,” said a local leader.
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Sources further added that Kalyan, fondly called Telugu Dabang, was dull during the campaign. “The one thing that saved it all was that Modi kept referring to Kalyan as the man who fought for Telugu pride, to much applause from the public,” added another leader.
“This rift on stage could have been very damaging had it not been for Modi. Fortunately for us, the people had come to hear Modi and were not disappointed with him. He said exactly what they wanted to hear and he instilled a great sense of hope. In fact, all his four rallies were a major hit,” said a leader.
Sources went on to say that the TDP could not afford this when it campaigned in Seemandhra, adding that Naidu would need Kalyan to be his best and speak favourably not only of the BJP but also the TDP.
It is a known fact that Kalyan and Naidu have their share of differences. One of the reasons for the discontent is because Kalyan’s friend Potluri Vara Prasad could not contest the polls. In fact, to make his discontent apparent, Kalyan has not asked people to vote for the TDP and only mentions Modi or the BJP.
And ahead of campaigning in Seemandhra, Naidu will be meeting with Kalyan, said sources, to iron out their differences so that the two can be on the same page.
Image: TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu looks on as BJP's Narendra Modi has a word with Pawan Kalyan during the Hyderabad rally. Pic/Snapsindia