Steve Jarding, a public policy professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, who sculpted Akhilesh Yadav’s image makeover in the current UP polls, will be now preparing Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan for the 2019 elections.
Jarding, who has been a political consultant for politicians worldwide, including Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, offers most sought after “Making of a Politician” course at Harvard.
Sources in Janasena said that the actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, who had extended support to the TDP-BJP combine in 2014 elections, met the Harvard Guru during his five-day visit to USA. His fans had organised a two-day conference of Janasena in Harvard. Power star Pawan Kalyan and his wife Anna Lezhneva arrived at the university on Thursday.
The actor met Steve Jarding in Boston’s Charles hotel. Pawan, in his two-hour-long talk, discussed the 2019 Andhra Assembly elections with Jarding. Pawan Kalyan explained the existing political scenario of the state and the prominence of caste in the process of elections to Jarding. Pawan sought Jarding’s help in screening the candidates and steps to take the party close to the people.
Later, addressing fans at a conference, Pawan invited Jarding to Andhra Pradesh. He said that he will continue acting, but will jump into active politics by preparing his cadres for the 2019 elections.
Pawan Kalyan also met nuclear policy specialist Mathew Bun and energy policy specialist Henry Lee during his visit.
It is said that Jarding and his team have worked out ways to make rural youth view Akhilesh in a positive light after the frequent bickering with his father.
Jarding’s team has worked out booth-level electoral plans and pressed lakhs of party workers to implement the plan. Jarding’s strategies for opponent management are said to be the best in the “political” world.
Published 11 February 2017, 21:05 IST