Formation On 12 March 2014, it was officially announced that
Telugu matinée idol and philanthropist Pawan Kalyan, was launching a new political party. In preparation for the launch, Kalyan reportedly visited Delhi to register the party with the
Election Commission of India (ECI). Kalyan formally launched the party at the
Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) in
Madhapur,
Hyderabad, on 14 March 2014 with a massive meeting. The party was named Janasena (), and Kalyan urged people to challenge those in power. He unveiled the party's flag and objectives at the event attended by 6,000 people. Kalyan criticized the
Congress Party high command for the state's issues, accusing them of
dividing the state without addressing the people's concerns. The Election Commission approved the party on November 28, 2014.
20142019 2014 elections Pawan Kalyan chose not to contest in the 2014 elections, instead supporting and campaigning extensively for the
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
alliance. Kalyan campaigned against the
Congress party, giving the slogan "Congress Hatao, Desh Bachao" (). His rallies drew huge crowds in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. His support and campaigning played a crucial role in the TDP-led
National Democratic Alliance's victory in the
Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections.
Campaign for Special Category Status In September 2016, Pawan Kalyan's public criticism of the BJP and TDP over the delay in granting Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh led to increased political pressure. Chief Minister
Chandrababu Naidu accepted the package, but Kalyan, at a massive public gathering named
Seemandhrula Atma Gaurava Sabha in
Kakinada on 9 September 2016, dismissed the concessions as eyewash, resonating with public sentiment and further criticizing Naidu’s compliance with the BJP. One political commentator described the announcement of the special package as a 'political victory' for Pawan Kalyan, highlighting his significant influence.
Spotlight on the Uddanam kidney disease crisis Pawan Kalyan brought attention to the
Uddanam kidney disease issue in
Srikakulam district by requesting
Harvard University doctors to participate in clinical research on local kidney problems. He subsequently held a meeting in
Visakhapatnam with these Harvard doctors and local scientists. Kalyan also met with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to discuss the Uddanam situation, leading to the establishment of a dialysis centre in the region. In May 2018, he went on a one-day hunger strike for proper care of patients in Uddanam in May 2018. On 21 February 2017, Kalyan announced that he would launch a website on 14 March to mark the party's anniversary and invite recommendations for the party manifesto in the
2019 general election. The fourth formation day of JSP was conducted at
Acharya Nagarjuna University grounds on March 14, 2018. Kalyan criticized both central and state governments in this meeting. He mainly targeted
Arun Jaitley,
N. Chandrababu Naidu and
Nara Lokesh for their poor governance and alleged corruption. He said, "I supported the TDP and the BJP parties during the general elections held in 2014 with the hope that they would rebuild the state which had no Capital and no financial resources. But the state government has belied my hopes and the aspirations of crores of people. Why should I support these parties which have betrayed the people?" He questioned Chandrababu Naidu about his son's alleged corruption. In December 2017, Kalyan opposed the central government's move to privatize the
Dredging Corporation of India (DCI). In July 2018, he opposed the TDP government's decision on forced land pooling. In October 2018, he organized a march on the historical
Dowleswaram Barrage,
Rajahmundry, demanding political accountability. In November 2018, he exposed the alleged unchecked mining in the
reserved forest area at Vanthada village of
Prathipadu, East Godavari district. In December 2018, he led a protest march to condole the families of farmers who committed suicide or migrated from the drought-prone regions of
Rayalaseema. The prime objective of Janasena Party has been to ensure equal power to all social groups of people.
2019–2024 2019 elections On 2 May 2018, the JSP announced that it would contest all 175 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh during the
2019 assembly election. JSP formed a bloc with the
Bahujan Samaj Party,
Communist Party of India, and
Communist Party of India (Marxist). Kalyan contested two seats in the election,
Gajuwaka and
Bhimavaram. He failed to win either seat. JSP candidate,
Rapaka Vara Prasada Rao, was elected from
Razole Assembly constituency. The party managed to get around 6% vote share in Andhra Pradesh.
Manifesto Kalyan released the party's 2019 election manifesto on the fifth formation day of JSP at
Rajahmundry. The party declared war on unemployment and corruption and wished to ensure the safety of women. Other goals included: • Irrigation support fund of per acre to every farmer's family •
Dokka Seethamma canteens, which provide free food for students • pension for small, marginal and tenant farmers above 60 years of age and free solar pump sets for all farmers • Arts and science college at every
mandal level • 10
lakh (one million rupees) free health insurance, and mobile diagnostic centres in all mandals • 10,000 financial support at 25
paisa interest to small businesses • Implementation of
Sachar Committee recommendations • Free education from
LKG to
PG • Free
liquefied petroleum gas cylinders for housewives • Financial support for fishermen during the non-fishing season • High court bench in
Rayalaseema •
Chief minister (CM) to be brought under
Lokayukta • 33% reservations for women in the state legislature and establishment of Mahila banks in all districts • Ten lakh (one million) jobs every year After the 2019 setback, Janasena focused on highlighting issues like farmer welfare, transparent governance, poor infrastructure, illegal sand mining, women's safety, land encroachment etc. On 3 November 2019, Kalyan led a long march in
Visakhapatnam in support of construction workers, against
YSR Congress Party, who have been facing unemployment due to a shortage of supply of
sand in Andhra Pradesh. On 16 January 2020, Kalyan announced his party's alliance with the BJP, after three years of distancing from it. On 12 February 2020, he led a rally for justice to Sugali Preethi, a 15-year-old girl who was raped and murdered, in
Kurnool. He demanded an inquiry by
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the incident. In late 2022, Kalyan started 'Jana Vani,' a series of small public meetings to hear people's grievances.
2023 Varahi Yatra In 2023, Kalyan undertook a tour in the state on a customized vehicle named
Varahi, aimed at highlighting the failures of Jagan Mohan Reddy's administration. The vehicle used for the trip is a
camper van having facilities like a bed, cooking appliances, a bathroom, and a compact meeting area. The tour also included the 'Jana Vani' programme, where the party received petitions from people seeking redressal of their grievances. Later, the grievances were to the notice of the concerned authorities to get them addressed.
2024–present 2024 elections On 14 September 2023, Kalyan announced via a press conference, that the JSP and
TDP would jointly fight the
2024 Andhra Pradesh legislative elections. In March 2024, TDP rejoined the
NDA for legislative elections and
2024 General Elections, effectively making it a tri-party alliance, or
Kutami, in Andhra Pradesh. Kalyan played a key role in forging the alliance between JSP, TDP and BJP by limiting the number of seats his party contested. The alliance swept to power in a landslide victory, with Janasena winning each of the seats it contested 21
MLA seats and 2
MP seats. Kalyan was elected to the
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from
Pitapuram constituency by a margin of over 70,000 votes. After the 2024 elections, the Janasena Party (JSP) attained eligibility for recognized party status. According to the
Election Commission's guidelines, a party can achieve state party status by securing at least three per cent of the total number of seats. JSP exceeded this threshold by winning 13% of the seats in the state, qualifying for the status.
Janasena in coalition government On 12 June 2024, party president Pawan Kalyan was sworn in as a
cabinet minister in the
Government of Andhra Pradesh, and on 16 June 2024, he was announced as the
Deputy Chief Minister. He is also the Minister of Panchayat Raj, Rural Development & Rural Water Supply; Environment, Forests, Science & Technology. On the same day, two other Janasena legislators and Pawan Kalyan were sworn in as ministers.
Nadendla Manohar became the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, while
Kandula Durgesh became the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Cinematography. On 5 July 2024, P. Hari Prasad was elected unopposed as a member of the
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council under the MLA quota, becoming the first
MLC from the Janasena Party. On 24 July 2024, Janasena made key appointments for the party within the
Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
Tenali MLA, Nadendla Manohar, was designated as the Deputy Floor Leader of the party, while
Lokam Naga Madhavi, the MLA of
Nellimarla, was appointed as the
Chief Whip.
Bhimavaram MLA,
Pulaparthi Ramanjaneyulu has been appointed as the Treasurer.
Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsi Krishna Yadav, and
Razole MLA
Deva Varaprasad have been appointed as Secretaries. In October 2024, amidst the
Tirupati Laddu controversy, Pawan Kalyan issued a clarion call through his
Varahi declaration in
Tirupati, advocating for the formation of a board dedicated to protecting temples and Hindu interests.
Membership Milestone In early August 2024, the Janasena Party (JSP) reached a major milestone by exceeding one million members. The party, which had set a goal to enrol one million new members within the year, achieved this target as reported in August 2024, compared to 6.47 lakh done in 2023 and 3.50 lakh and 1 lakh in 2022 and 2021 respectively. The growth was highlighted by party leaders, including
Nadendla Manohar, who underscored the significance of this expansion for the party’s future political initiatives. ==Leadership==