Candidates contesting in the general elections slated for 13 May 2024 are leaving no stone unturned to drum up the support of all sections of Visakhapatnam. They are trying every experiment to catch the eye of the voters. In this endeavour, film stars are being roped in to add a touch of glamour to the campaign in Visakhapatnam. Being an actor, Jana Sena party (JSP) Chief, Pawan Kalyan, has the support of a galaxy of stars who hit the roads to campaign for JSP.
Actor Varun Tej, son of Nagendra Babu, has already been on a campaign trail, seeking voter support for Pawan Kalyan, who is his paternal uncle. He is touring the State in support of the candidates belonging to the TDP-BJP-JSP combine.
Besides Varun Tej, comedian Priudhvi Raj, other actors like Ali and Srinu of Jabardasth (a comedy show on ETV), choreographer Jani Master and others have been throwing their weight behind the ‘Power star’, mainly focusing on the Pithapuram constituency, where Pawan Kalyan is seeking election.
The TDP-BJP-JSP combine is likely to get a fillip in the coming days as the actor, Chiranjeevi, brother of Pawan Kalyan, is said to be ready to campaign for the candidates.
Riding high on back-to-back hits in the Tollywood movie industry, Nandamuri Balakrishna is another star campaigner for the TDP-BJP-JSP combine. Being a candidate for the Hindupur Assembly seat himself, the actor is sparing time and canvassing in other segments as well. His son-in-law, Mathukumilli Sribharat, is the candidate representing the TDP-JSP-BJP combine for the Vizag Lok Sabha constituency.
On the other hand, the ruling Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) seems to be lagging in said ‘star campaign’. Though the party has Roja in its fold, she is confined to her constituency, Nagari, where the star is sweating to retain the seat, as she appears to be on a sticky wicket in the segment due to internal bickering.
Tamil actor, Vishal, a supporter of Jaganmohan Reddy, lauds the welfare schemes introduced by the YSRCP and may campaign for his leader. Though other actors including Posani Krishna Murali and Ali belong to the party, they have not been seen in the campaign. In contrast, the anchor, Syamala, is campaigning for the candidates.
While the well-known film producer, Dil Raju, appeals to voters to elect Balineni Srinivasa Rao from the Ongole Assembly constituency, the actor, Daggubati Venkatesh, has sought support for Kamineni Srinivas, his wife’s uncle, who is the race in the Kaikaluru Assembly constituency.
Though it is a million-dollar question whether the participation of film stars in the election campaign would benefit the candidates or not, they have been successful in drawing crowds and spreading their message in Visakhapatnam.
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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu.
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