Pawan Kalyan reveals facing pressure after Vijay became Tamil Nadu CM: People are saying I should have done the same'

Pawan Kalyan (Pic/X)

A week ago, actor-turned-politician Vijay took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after securing victory in the state assembly elections in his maiden political outing.

Pawan Kalyan faces pressure

Vijay's historic win has now put Pawan Kalyan, actor and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, under the spotlight, with many comparing his political journey to Vijay's.

Pawan has now addressed these comparisons while speaking to party workers.

Speaking to party cadres at Jana Sena Party's headquarters in Mangalagiri, Pawan, without directly naming Vijay, said, "Ever since the Tamil Nadu elections and him becoming Chief Minister, people are pressuring me."

He added, "In our neighbouring state, an actor established a party and became the Chief Minister. A lot of people have messaged me saying I should have done the same in Andhra Pradesh."

Using a Telugu idiom to explain the situation, Pawan said, "Uru lo pelli ki… edo hadavidi antaru kada (Like unnecessary excitement for a neighbour's wedding). It's like children running around without realising it's not their family wedding."

He further stressed that the political landscape in Andhra Pradesh is very different.

"As they said, I contested in the 2019 elections. What happened then? Even ministers did not stand by me. So, don't compare," he said.

Chiranjeevi congratulates Vijay

Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan's brother and superstar Chiranjeevi recently called Vijay and personally congratulated him on his political victory.

A statement released by Chiranjeevi's team read, "Megastar Chiranjeevi extended his heartfelt congratulations to Mr Vijay upon assuming office as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He expressed hope that Vijay would remain in the hearts of the people through people-centric governance, much like the late leader M. G. Ramachandran."

The statement also revealed that Vijay congratulated Chiranjeevi for the success of his film Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu and thanked him for supporting him during the Jana Nayagan leak controversy. "In turn, Mr Vijay expressed his gratitude to Megastar Chiranjeevi. He mentioned that he had recently watched the film Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu and felt immense joy seeing Chiranjeevi on the silver screen; he also thanked him for the support extended regarding the piracy issue concerning Jana Nayagan. Furthermore, he conveyed his best wishes for Chiranjeevi's upcoming film, which is being produced under the KVN Productions banner," the note read.