'Power Star' to BJP's 'Nayab Hira': Five breakthrough politicians of 2024

In 2024, India's political landscape was reshaped by a new wave of dynamic leaders. From Pawan Kalyan’s meteoric rise in Andhra Pradesh to Thalapathy Vijay’s bold foray into Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian battleground, these politicians redefined conventional politics.

 

Here's a closer look at five breakthrough politicians who made headlines in 2024:

 

Pawan Kalyan

 

Beginning his political journey in 2014 with the launch of Jan Sena Party (JSP), actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan has come a long way. In the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, his party won all 21 Assembly seats it contested and also secured two Lok Sabha seats in the simultaneous general elections.

 

Unlike his elder brother Chiranjeevi, who merged his Praja Rajyam Party with Congress after facing electoral defeats, Kalyan and his JSP remained undeterred by the initial setbacks.

 

In 2019, Kalyan went to the polls in alliance with left parties. The JSP could win only one seat, with Kalyan himself losing from both the seats he contested. Realising the public sentiments, he crafted a new strategy for his party.

 

In 2024, his party contested polls in alliance with the BJP and Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The alliance emerged victorious, which led to Kalyan getting the Deputy Chief Minister's post in the state.

 

Thalapathy Vijay

 

Tamil Nadu, a state where cinema and power have been synonymous, saw a new political entrant - ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay. Among the highest paid actors in the country, Vijay launched his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in February this year, and made his debut speech in front of a 300,000 crowd in October.

 

Outlining his political vision and ideological position, the 50-year-old tapped the 'Dravidam' card to challenge the ruling DMK while he voiced concerns over "politics of hate," in a bid to corner the budding BJP in the state.

 

Vijay is now eyeing on the 2026 Assembly polls, where he would aim to fill the political void created by a weakened AIADMK.

 

Nayab Singh Saini

 

Nobody expected that the BJP would be able to return to power in Haryana, especially after the party brought in a new chief minister in the middle of the term. However, Nayab Singh Saini made the impossible possible, leading the party out of tough waters of anti-incumbency and Jat unrest.

 

Due to his close ties with former CM Manohar Lal Khattar and his OBC identity, Saini solidified his position in the state's political landscape. In 2023, he was made the BJP’s state unit chief, where he replaced Om Prakash Dhankar, party's Jat face in Haryana.

 

In the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls, the BJP's thrust on OBC vote to counter the Congress' Jat vote-base worked with Saini leading the way.

 

Nara Lokesh

 

Once considered politically raw, Nara Lokesh played a prominent role in the TDP's return to power in Andhra Pradesh. Son of N Chandrababu Naidu, Lokesh was often criticised for not winning an election ever. However, he changed the perception in 2024 by winning from Mangalagiri constituency, which had never been won by the TDP in 39 years.

 

The 41-year old MBA from Stanford is said to have used technology extensively to fuel his party's agenda in state politics. It helped him in connecting with the masses, particularly the youth.

 

Lokesh started a 400-day padyatra (foot march) which he started in January 2023 to prepare the ground for the TDP’s comeback in the state. The padyatra helped him in coming out of his father's shadow, and crafting his own image. His role became more prominent after his father's arrest in a skill development corporation scam. He halted the yatra, took charge of the party and launched an offensive against Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP.

 

Kalpana Soren

 

Kalpana Soren, the wife of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, kept a low profile until her husband's arrest in a money laundering case forced her to come out of the shadows. She not only took the reins of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party but also became the central figure in election campaigning.

 

Contesting elections, she defeated her nearest BJP rival by a margin of 17,142 votes from Gandey.

 

The husband-wife duo is said to have addressed nearly 200 political rallies in the Assembly election. Acknowledging the contribution of his wife Kalpana in Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s victory, CM Soren said, “You saw how we fared in the Lok Sabha (winning five out of 14 seats)... At the time, Kalpana Soren worked as a one-man army."