Ali ready for political debut

A caricature of the Telugu film actor (comedian), Ali. 19-06-2003. Photo: K. Ramesh Babu.

Film actor Ali has confirmed that he would make his political debut from Rajahmundry, his home town, in the present Assembly elections. He also hinted that would be contesting on Telugu Desam Party ticket.

Ali was here on Saturday night to attend pre-launch trailer of a Telugu movie in GIET Engineering College, where he spoke to media about politics. He said that he was getting invitations from Guntur-I and two constituencies and Sattenapalli in same district and also from Telangana. “How can I go to Guntur or any other place as my hometown is Rajahmundry. I am interested in contesting from this place,” he said.

When media asked him specifically from which party he would be contesting, Ali tried to deflect the question by replying in a light-hearted manner that he was getting offers from about “20 political parties”.

During an informal chat with

The Hindu , Ali confirmed that TDP leadership approached him and suggested that he contest from Guntur, but he refused to do so as he was non-local. Responding to a question, he said that as a native of Rajahmundry he is having friends and relatives and more than that fans are there to elect him in Assembly elections.

Asked to comment about Jana Sena Party and his possibility of joining the party, the actor said his proximity with Pawan Kalyan was confined to films. “His principles are great and he is service minded," the comedian said.