Congress will back Prakash Raj if he formally joins the party: Dinesh Gundu Rao

With the Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao has indicated that the party will support actor Prakash Raj.

The actor-turned-politician has expressed his desire to contest in the elections as an independent candidate from Bengaluru Central constituency. He has asked for support from Congress. Dinesh suggested that if the actor formally joins Congress, he will be backed by the party.

"Congress being a national party cannot support an independent candidate without them officially joining the party. Prakash Raj has also spoken to former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other top leaders from Congress," KPCC president told reporters.

Prakash Raj is ready for his political career and has started his election campaigns much earlier than other candidates. He has already gained support from political parties including Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Raj has been very vocal about his views of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government and its leaders - Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah. He said that he has no problem in meeting any leaders except for PM Modi and Amit Shah.

With 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Congress are yet to confirm on a seat-sharing agreement. With several dramas taking place in the state of Karnataka, the upcoming election might turn to be crucial for the ruling coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy, who is already in a dispute with Congress leaders.