Actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj has declared his support for Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Tuesday’s elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
He appealed to the people of Hyderabad to vote for harmony and not divisive politics. “Dear Hyderabadis your power your right..and your conscience..to decide. Do you want peaceful Hyderabad..#GHMCElections.. please vote for harmony..not divisive politics? I stand with #TRS..#KCR #KTR,” he tweeted.
Prakash Raj drew flak from the All India Congress Committee in charge of Telangana Manickam Tagore for his appeal. The Congress leader said it was surprising to see Prakash Raj asking to vote for those who are killing democracy in Telangana.
Tagore along with his tweet posted a video showing an alleged TRS supporter caught with money. “Father and son Chandrasekhar & Rama Rao agent caught with money and pamphlets. Still, you want them to win the elections,” the Congress leader asked Prakash Raj.
The award-winning actor, who acted in many Telugu films, had unsuccessfully contested for Lok Sabha from Bangalore Central last year as an independent.
A bitter critic of BJP, he had recently called popular Telugu actor and Jana Sena party chief Pawan Kalyan a “chameleon” over reviving alliance with BJP and for supporting the saffron party in GHMC polls.
In an interview with a Telugu channel, Prakash Raj criticized Pawan Kalyan for repeatedly changing his stand on BJP.
The Jana Sena chief had announced that his party will contest GHMC elections but later on a request by BJP leaders, decided not to field the candidates and appealed to people to vote for the BJP.
Pawan Kalyan, however, did not campaign for BJP.
Prakash Raj recalled that Pawan Kalyan supported the BJP in 2014 but later distanced himself from the party by accusing it of betrayal.
After the drubbing in the 2019 elections in Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena revived his alliance with BJP early this year.