Pawan Kalyan on Vijay’s rise: ‘He became CM using cutouts, I struggled for years’

Pawan Kalyan recently opened up about feeling “slightly jealous” of Vijay’s rapid political success in Tamil Nadu, while also reflecting on his own long and challenging journey in Andhra Pradesh politics.

Speaking at a public event, the Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister jokingly remarked that Vijay appeared to achieve political success with ease through high-visibility campaign strategies such as cutouts and holograms, while he spent years working at the grassroots level.

Pawan Kalyan jokes about Vijay’s rise

During his speech, Pawan Kalyan said Tamil Nadu’s political atmosphere looked far more relaxed compared to his own experience in Andhra Pradesh.

“I look at Tamil politics these days, they’ve done it so carefree. I felt a little jealous. He became Chief Minister using cutouts and holograms happily. I roamed on the streets for 15 years but…,” he said with a laugh, before immediately clarifying that he was joking.

The actor-politician then shifted to a more serious note, stressing that leading a political party requires patience, public understanding and years of effort.

“To run a party, you need to understand the expectations of lakhs of people. That is why I struggled for so many years,” he added.

A clip from the speech has since gone viral online, sparking conversations among fans and political observers alike.

‘Tamil Nadu and Andhra politics are different’

Pawan Kalyan also addressed the growing comparisons between his political journey and Vijay’s rise in Tamil Nadu politics.

Speaking earlier to party workers in Mangalagiri, he revealed that many people had messaged him after Vijay’s electoral success, asking why he could not achieve similar results earlier in Andhra Pradesh.

However, Kalyan firmly rejected the comparison, saying the political realities of the two states are completely different.

“In our neighbouring state, an actor formed a party and became Chief Minister. Many people told me I should have done the same in Andhra Pradesh. But the situations are very different,” he said.

Referring to his 2019 election experience, he pointed out that even several leaders within the system did not fully support him at the time.

“So don’t compare,” he added.

Pawan Kalyan has spent more than a decade building the Jana Sena Party in Andhra Pradesh politics, while Vijay recently launched his political outfit Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu.