Are Jagan and JP coming closer? What's cooking?

What explains senior thought leader and Lok Satta's Jayaprakash Narayan's sudden closeness to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy? Both have recently shared the stage at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the APCOB. Their bonhomie on stage has fueled speculations about whether JP and YS Jagan are planning to come together politically too.

JP is a known fighter for clean politics and electoral reforms. He is also known to be staunchly opposed to profligate spending in the name of welfare schemes. However, he is also known to be forthright in his comments regardless of the party and politics. Their sharing of the stage is being viewed with concern by the TDP and the Jana Sena.

Of late, JP has been praising the welfare schemes being implemented by the YSRCP government. On more than one occasions, JP has lauded YS Jagan. Sources say that Jagan may have invited him into the party. As of now, we have no way of knowing whether Jai Prakash Narayan will accept the YSRCP friend's request.

The buzz in the political circles is that the YSRCP is contemplating to ask JP to contest from Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat and that the party will support him. JP, known to be a visionary thinker, would be useful at the national level, the YSRCP feels. At the same time, his Kamma lineage, support among the elite would help defeat the TDP in Vijayawada. After all, Vijayawada is one of the three seats that the TDP had won in the 2019 elections.