Prakash Raj announced that he is resigning from the Telugu film industry’s Movie Artists Association (MAA) on Monday, October 11. This follows his defeat in the MAA elections held on Sunday, October 10, in which he was contesting for the post of president. Tollywood actor Manchu Vishnu, who is the son of veteran star Manchu Mohan Babu, was elected president of the association.
Prakash Raj also messaged Vishnu congratulating him on his "stupendous win" and informed him that he will be resigning from the association and asked him to accept his decision. He further said that he will be there to support Vishnu, as a non-member, if ever needed.
Vishnu shared a screenshot of his text exchange with Prakash Raj on Twitter with the caption, ‘For the future. We are one. Always’. In his reply to Prakash Raj’s message, Vishnu called him “Dear Uncle” and thanked him. He said he wasn’t happy about his decision to resign and called him an “integral part of our family”. He further said he would meet him soon to discuss this and asked him not to be hasty.
For the future. We are one. Always. pic.twitter.com/1Frpl8VVpt
— Vishnu Manchu (@iVishnuManchu) October 11, 2021
Meanwhile speaking to the media, Prakash Raj again congratulated Vishnu and the elected members from the panel and asked them to implement all the changes that they had promised they would make if they won. He further added, “I have come here as a guest and will remain a guest. I would like to resign from my position as a member of MAA. I have accepted the people’s mandate, who wanted a local Telugu person as their president, I duly respect that. But I cannot continue in an association that has its own agenda.”
The lead-up to the polling that took place on Sunday at Jubilee Hills Public School in Hyderabad was filled with controversy. There were reports of Prakash Raj and Manchu Vishnu, and their respective panels, exchanging words and petty fights breaking out.
During the election campaign, many senior actors from the Telugu film industry had questioned how Prakash Raj could contest for the elections as he was an ‘outsider’. Even Vishnu had appealed to the voters to elect the ‘son of the soil’. Prakash Raj is a native of Karnataka but has acted predominantly in Telugu movies and has been a member of MAA for the past 21 years.
Prakash Raj told the media that he would continue to work with directors, producers and writers associated with the Telugu film industry and said that he was resigning only from the association.
Prakash Raj had the backing of Chiranjeevi and his family for the MAA elections. Meanwhile, on Sunday, actor Nagababu, Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan’s brother, also resigned from MAA and said that he cannot continue in an association that is “riddled with regionalism and narrow-minded concepts”.