Telugu filmstars make a beeline to polling booths

Hyderabad, April 16 (IANS) Popular actors and other Telugu film personalities made a beeline to polling booths here to cast their votes for the first phase of parliamentary and assembly elections Thursday.

Leading the list was superstar Chiranjeevi, who is making his debut in state politics. Accompanied by wife Surekha, son and actor Ram Charan Teja and daughter Sushmita, the founder and president of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) cast his vote.

'People want a change and I am sure they will support Praja Rajyam,' Chiranjeevi told reporters outside the polling booth.

His children were excited to participate in the poll process.

'This is a special feeling as we are casting our votes for a party founded by our father,' said Teja.

Young actor Allu Arjun, the son of PRP general secretary and Chiranjeevi's brother-in-law Allu Aravind, also cast his vote. 'Vote, vote, vote' was the slogan written on his T-shirt.

N. Balakrishna, a popular actor and leading campaigner for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), also exercised his franchise in a polling booth in upmarket Jubilee Hills.

Balakrishna, son of TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao, campaigned for the party across the state.

NTR's grandson and TDP's star campaigner Junior NTR came to the polling centre on a stretcher as he is yet to recover from the injuries he sustained in a road accident during campaigning last month.

Another popular actor Nagarjuna and his wife Amla stood in queue at a polling booth in Jubilee Hills to cast their votes. Another popular face was actor Venkatesh.

Well-known producer, actor and Congress leader Dasari Narayan Rao and famous filmmaker D. Rama Naidu were among other prominent personalities who came out to vote.