Stop screening of 'Legend': YSRCP requests EC

YSR Congress Party today urged the Election Commission to stop the exhibition of Telugu movie 'Legend' starring Nandamuri Balakrishna, who has entered the poll fray as a TDP nominee, or inclusion of its production and collection in the expenditure account of the candidate. 

Exhibition of the movie at this juncture when the elections are slated soon, can influence the voters of Ananthapur district (Balakrishna is contesting from Hindupur in the district) and the state as a whole in his favour and also of the party, state coordinator of YSRCP P N V Prasad, who filed a petition with the EC, said.

He argued that it would be irreparable loss to the opposition parties if the exhibition is not stopped immediately across the state. The party urged the EC to stop its exhibition or include the total cost of the movie and its collections into the expenditure account of the candidate, Balakrishna who is the brother-in-law of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu. 

The party requested the EC to disqualify Balakrishna, son of legendary N T Rama Rao, if he is found guilty for exceeding the permitted limit of expenditure that one can incur as a candidate for Assembly elections (Rs 28 lakh) by way of producing the movie and exhibiting it. Hence it must be treated as a paid article, it said. According to reports, the movie, an action-entertainer released on March 28, has grossed more than Rs 50 crore in the global marke in three weeks.