In a ‘sudden’ move, film director Ram Gopal Varma on Thursday said that he is joining politics and would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Varma, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said that he would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Pithapuram constituency in Andhra Pradesh.
Varma has not clearly mentioned which political party he has joined, for if he would be contesting the election as an independent candidate.
In his X post, Varma wrote: “SUDDEN DECISION..Am HAPPY to inform that I am CONTESTING from PITHAPURAM”
In another post, the film maker said that he is very serious about the decision. “To all those doubting , I AM SUPER SERIOUS,” he wrote.
The Vyooham director has been fielded opposite Telugu Desam Party-Bharatiya Janata Party-Jana Sena Party alliance’s candidate Pawan Kalyan for the Pithapuram seat in the Lok Sabha polls. Kalyan is a known Telugu actor and heads the JSP.
After suffering a crushing defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the TDP, which was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance until 2018, expressed interest in reviving the alliance.
Andhra Pradesh has a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 seats in the state Assembly.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in April-May.
Controversy around Ram Gopal Varma and the politics of Andhra Pradesh
The filmmaker had recently directed a movie named ‘ Vyooham’ around the politics in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The 2023 December movie had received a backlash in the states as several political leaders demanded the expulsion of Varma from Andhra Pradesh.
A petition was filed in the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh High Courts against Vyooham, calling for prohibition. The plea said that Varma’s latest movie may serve as a tool for strategy and contribute to the propagation of animosity within society, leading to conflicts between political parties.
The film is about the circumstances surrounding the death of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, father of present Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Authorities were particularly wary of scenes within the film that allegedly insult the leadership of the Telugu Desam and Janasena parties.
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Published: 14 Mar 2024, 07:12 PM IST