In a post on X, Jana Sena chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan says his support for Telangana statehood sprang from conviction not politics, and traces it to his 2009 stand alongside Gaddar

In a post on X on Wednesday (June 3, 2026), Mr. Pawan Kalyan said his commitment to Telangana statehood “is not something that began recently”. He recalled that in 2009, while leading the Yuva Rajyam youth wing of the Praja Rajyam Party, he took part in the Telangana Samajika Nyaya Sabha alongside Osmania University student leaders and Gaddar.

He said that when the Congress government led by the late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy opposed the formation of Telangana, he openly supported the aspirations of the Telangana people and called for a “Samajika Telangana”, one built on social justice, self-respect and equal opportunities for all sections of society.

“My support for Telangana was never driven by political expediency. It was guided by conviction and a belief that the democratic aspirations of the people deserved recognition and respect,” he said.

The stand he took then, he said, reflected his commitment to Telangana and its people.