National Award-winning actor Prakash Raj on Tuesday said he is joining politics and will contest an independent candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE..a new beginning .. more responsibility.. with UR support I will be contesting in the coming parliament elections as an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE, he said on Twitter.
“Details of the constituency soon. Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR #citizensvoice #justasking in parliament too,” said Raj.
Raj, who won National Award for Best Actor in 2008, has been critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government. He has also been one of those seeking justice for his friend and journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot outside her residence in September 2017.
Raj has said that Bollywood filmmakers stopped offering him roles as he has been critical of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
He is the latest celebrity to join politics in southern India after veteran Tamil actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.