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Stars at odds as MAA poll campaign hots up
Scenes off screen in Tollywood are getting more intriguing by each passing day as two bigwigs of industry are all set to take on each other in the election to the post of MAA (Movie Artistes Association) president, scheduled to be held on March 29. Actress Jayasudha, who is contesting for the post, is visibly upset over the alleged threat from her rival candidate Rajendra Prasad.
Jayasudha upset over alleged warning by rival candidate Rajendra Prasad
Hyderabad: Scenes off screen in Tollywood are getting more intriguing by each passing day as two bigwigs of industry are all set to take on each other in the election to the post of MAA (Movie Artistes Association) president, scheduled to be held on March 29. Actress Jayasudha, who is contesting for the post, is visibly upset over the alleged threat from her rival candidate Rajendra Prasad. She said she was apprehensive when outgoing president Murali Mohan asked her to take over the mantle of the association.
“Having been in the industry for 43 years, I didn’t feel the need to compete at this stage of my life and told him that I would feel better if I was elected unanimously. But when Rajendra Prasad’s panel tried to threaten me by seeking help of some politicians, I decided to give the elections a shot,” she said adding that it was time a woman took charge of MAA. “Being a woman, my win would pave way for more women to contest elections in the future. I should set a precedent.”
Though she did not reveal the names of politicians who threatened her and her panel, she said she would have been happier had Rajendra Prasad gone to A-listers like Nagarjuna, Balakrishna and Venkatesh and sought their support. “Before deciding to contest for the post, I spoke to senior artistes and checked whether I had their support or not. They all said they would vote for me,” said the actress. “Even I have political connections.
While Krishnam Raju is a former Union minister, Murali Mohan is a sitting MP. I’m a former MLA too. It’s better to keep politicians out of our elections,” she said, indirectly warning Rajendra Prasad. The senior actress, who has worked as vice president and treasurer of MAA in the past, said, “Besides a community centre for conducting marriages of poor artistes’ children, I will ensure that artistes get pension and ESI health cards.
I will be personally contacting producers about artistes who are out of work,” she said. The elections to the body, which runs with the help of funds raised, will be held on March 29 here. Jayasudha’s candidate Lakshmi Manchu has been elected as vice president on Monday itself.
