This Hero Is Hot Cake In Karnataka Politics

Finally, the speculation that actor Sudeep, popularly known as Kiccha Sudeep, would support the BJP has come true. The actor made it clear that he would not contest the Karnataka Assembly elections but would support the BJP. This means that Sudeep would be the star campaigner in the party.

It is not just the BJP but even the Congress and JD (S) also tried to rope in the actor in their parties. Why this huge craze for this film actor is the moot question.

Sudeep, who is also known as Deepu and Kiccha, hails from Sivamogga district in Karnataka. He belongs to the Valmiki Nayaka community (ST), which comprises a sizeable portion of the voters in the state.

In the Karnataka Assembly, around 15 seats are reserved for STs and 36 for SCs but both these communities have been demanding for a hike in their quota. Raising the same demand, Mutt chief Prasannananda Puri Swamy, belonging the same community, had staged a protest for 250 days. Sensing that the agitation would intensify, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reached the place and tried to pacify the Swamiji. However, with the Mutt chief unrelenting, the CM had to announce a hike in the quota for the SCs and STs. Sudeep also expressed his solidarity with the agitation.

Recently, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shiva Kumar recently met Sudeep following which there were rumours that the actor would play an active role in politics. Though Sudeep remained silent, the Congress clarified that it held the meeting only to know about the grievances of the film industry in the state. However, there was buzz that the Congress sought the actor’s support in the elections. In 2014 too, the Congress offered an MP post to the actor.

In 2018, the JD(S) also entered the race to pull the actor in the party. Some even say that the JD(S) tried to take the support of the actor in the party activities in 2011 itself.

With the actor belonging to a backward community, all the important political parties tried to gain the support of his community in the Assembly elections, by pulling him into their political outfit.

For the last 27 years, Sudeep had worked as an actor, writer, playback singer, director and producer of films. He also worked in the TV industry for some time. He secured a prominent position in the film industry by working in the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film field.

In 1997, Sudeep entered the films with the movie ‘Tayavva’. Later, he acted in several films and has many fans. He also runs an NGO and is the brand ambassador of the Karnataka police and income tax departments. During Covid, he extended help to film artistes and technicians both in cash and kind.

It may be recalled that Sudeep’s remarks on Hindi made last year created a furore and he was criticized by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn. This led to an exchange of serious comments between both the actors.