The Tirupati Laddu issue has become an emotive controversy. Pawan Kalyan has taken up the issue vehemently. He is also undergoing a Deeksha in accordance with Hindu scriptures. The Jana Sena Party chief has categorically said that a national-level Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board must be instituted.
The truth about the Tirupati Laddu will emerge in due course of time. The Modi government and the courts will get involved eventually. For now, it is evident that the Laddu issue is a turning point in Pawan Kalyan's political career.
Jana Sena has been a BJP ally for the most part of its existence. The June 4th election results only cemented the ties between the two parties. Hindutva icon Narendra Modi himself called Pawan Kalyan a storm. With the Laddu issue being taken very seriously by the actor-politician, millions of voters now see him as the biggest Telugu Hindutva icon. And he is not even a BJP leader.
How this will affect the state political discourse in the long run has to be seen. Jagan Mohan Reddy is a practising Christian. PK and Naidu want non-Reddy upper-caste voters to see Jagan as a Christian leader. And PK wants to be seen as a part-time Hindutva icon. Chandrababu Naidu will have a tough time managing the image of his government if communal tensions flare up in the future. Also, since TDP relies heavily on non-Reddy UC votes, how Naidu sees PK's Hindutva pitch would be an interesting question.
A substantial chunk of young voters across castes are fence-sitters. They may have chosen the Kootami in 2024 but they could change their minds in 2029 if they feel that the government uses religion as a diversionary tactic. The Naidu-PK duo came to power with tall promises.
On social media, PK's die-hard supporters are in agreement with his politics around the Tirupati Laddu. However, fence-sitters either believe he is going overboard or are silently watching the developments. A few months from now, the issue will be forgotten. No political leader can sustain an issue for years on end. What PK says and does at that time will determine his image in the minds of young voters.
