Karnataka Elections: Kiccha Sudeep NOT Contesting Polls, Actor Reveals He’ll Only Campaign For BJP

Bengaluru:
Leading
Kannada
film
actor
Sudeep
Sanjeev,
popularly
known
as
Kichcha
Sudeep,
on
Wednesday
announced
his
support
to
Chief
Minister
Basavaraj
Bommai
in
the
poll-bound
Karnataka,
giving
“star
power”
to
the
ruling
BJP’s
campaign
for
the
May
10
Assembly
elections.

Bommai
said
Sudeep
supporting
him
means
the
actor
would
campaign
for
the
BJP.
Sudeep,
who
has
a
huge
fan
following
in
the
State
and
is
one
of
the
highest-paid
actors
of
Kannada
cinema,
however,
made
it
clear
that
he
is
not
entering
politics,
neither
is
he
contesting
the
poll.

The
actor
also
indicated
that
he
was
not
backing
a
party.
Stressing
his
affection
and
respect
for
the
Chief
Minister
and
recalling
that
he
stood
by
him
during
his
difficult
times
and
shared
a
very
close
bond
with
his
family,
the
actor
announced
his
support
to
Bommai.

Sudeep,
best
known
for
his
performance
in
films
such
as
Swathi
Muthu,
Kempe
Gowda,
Eega,
and
Pailwaan,
hails
from
Shivamogga
district
and
belongs
to
the
Valmiki
Nayaka
community,
the
largest
tribes
in
the
ST
category,
in
the
State.

Sudeep,
49,
who
has
acted
in
movies
in
Hindi,
Telugu
and
Tamil,
in
addition
to
Kannada,
said
he
would
campaign
for
“some
of
the
people
he
(Bommai)
wants
him
to
support.
“I
will
go
by
what
he
(Bommai)
wants,
his
requirements.
I
am
not
entering
politics”,
he
said.
Bommai,
who
was
sitting
next
to
him
at
the
press
conference,
said
he
had
told
Sudeep
that
even
though
he
is
not
joining
the
BJP,
his
campaigning
is
“necessary”.

When
Sudeep
says
he
is
extending
me
support,
it
means
along
with
me
he
would
campaign
for
the
BJP
.

“Sudeep
doesn’t
belong
to
any
party.
He
has
come
to
support
me,
and
the
party
I
belong
to”.
“Sudeep’s
support
gives
big
strength
to
BJP’s
campaign”,
the
Chief
Minister
said.

Earlier
speaking
to
reporters
outside
his
residence
before
heading
to
the
hotel,
where
he
addressed
the
media
with
the
Chief
Minister,
Ministers
R
Ashoka,
K
Sudhakar,
and
Muniratna,
the
actor
said:
“If
you
think
I
am
in
favour
of
a
party,
I
have
not
done
any
such
thing”.