Lok Sabha elections 2019: Actor Prakash Raj to file nomination from Bengaluru Central today

Bengaluru, Mar 2: South Indian film star Prakash Raj, who recently announced his decision to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, will file his nomination from Bengaluru Central as an independent candidate on Friday. He had recently announced his Lok Sabha debut on Twitter.

The actor, who has been politically active ever since the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017, had announced his foray into politics.

Known for his anti-BJP stand, Raj during the Karnataka assembly election, had extensively campaigned against the BJP, while not identifying himself with any political party.

Bengaluru Central is currently represented in the Lok Sabha by PC Mohan of the BJP. If Raj manages to win the seat, he would be scripting history of sorts as the last time an independent candidate won a Lok Sabha election in the state was Dinakara Desai (D D Dattatreya) from the Kanara constituency of the erstwhile Mysore state in 1967.

He was preceded by another independent Sugandhi Murugappa Siddappa, who won from Bijapur North in 1957.

Meanwhile, Election officials have filed a case against actor Prakash Raj for allegedly violating the model code of conduct.

The complaint said the actor had used a mike and campaigned to canvas for votes at a public meeting near on March 12 in Bengaluru.