Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan held a public rally at the historic Dowleswaram barrage, Rajahmundry.

Lambasting the TD government for failing to hold gram panchayat polls fearing adverse outcome, Jana Sena chief, Pawan Kalyan, threatened to stir up a movement with former gram sarpanches to mount pressure upon the government to conduct the polls immediately.

He challenged AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and said, “You (Naidu) are scared of defeat. Even Jaganmohan Reddy is scared of defeat but I am not. I will face the polls and prove my strength,” as the crowd roared in unison.

Pawan chose Dowleswaram barrage, the lifeline of the Godavari delta, for the grand political marchpast that culminated in a public meeting.

Incidentally, the Godavari belt is the hotbed of AP politics. It is the stranglehold of the numerically strong Kapu community.

Godavari districts have always been the deciding factor in every assembly election.

The Jana Sena chief broached up the panchayat poll issue, as neither the ruling TDP nor the main opposition YSRCP is willing to go for panchayat polls before the general elections, due for April-May next year.

In fact, Pavan is the first politician to demand early panchayat polls. Incidentally, the high court recently directed Telangana state to hold polls to local bodies within three months.