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Updated: Mar 26, 2019 17:00 IST

Popular Telugu film actor-producer and former Rajya Sabha member Manchu Mohan Babu returned to active politics after a gap of nearly 18 years to join the YSR Congress party.

Mohan Babu, along with his son Manchu Vishnu, met YSRC president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the latter’s residence in Hyderabad and was formally inducted into the party. Jagan welcomed Babu by offering him the party shawl.

Incidentally, Mohan Babu is also related to Jagan. His son Vishnu, a popular hero in Telugu films, is married to Jagan’s first cousin Veronica.

“There had been many offers for me from various parties, including the Telugu Desam Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the YSR Congress party in the last five years. But I preferred to join the YSRC, not because I expected some posts or positions. I sincerely felt Jagan will do a lot of good for the people. I am confident he will become the next chief minister,” Mohan Babu said.

Recalling the services of Jagan’s father and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy for the state, Mohan Babu said he wished Jagan would carry forward his father’s legacy. “I will campaign for the YSRC in the ongoing elections,” he said.

The 69-year-old Padma Shri award recipient was an ardent fan of TDP founder and former chief minister late NT Rama Rao and had been associated with the party since its inception in 1962. He was instrumental in bringing actress Jaya Prada into politics. In 1995, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha and was closely associated with present TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

However, within a couple of years, due to differences with Naidu, Mohan Babu withdrew from politics in 2001 after the completion of his Rajya Sabha term. Since then, he has kept his distance from active politics.

Recently, the veteran actor raised a banner of revolt against the Naidu government for not implementing fee reimbursement scheme for his Sri Vidya Niketan Group of Institutions near Tirupati. He alleged that Naidu was harassing the students of his institution by not reimbursing their tuition fees. He tried to hold a massive rally with college students in Tirupati, but was denied permission by the police. This, he says, prompted him to join the YSR Congress party.