Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) has appointed Bigg Telugu 4 contestant and YouTuber Alekhya Harika as its brand ambassador. The appointment was made by TSTDC Chairman Uppala Srinivas Gupta on the occasion of International Women's Day Celebrations.
The official Twitter handle of the TSTDC announced the development and said, "Uppal Srinivas Gupta, Chairman of Telangana State Tourism Development corporation appointed Alekhya Harika as the new brand ambassador for TSTDC." Uppala Srinivas said, "Appointed our Telangana Mahila, biggboss fame, Dethadi Alekhya Harika garu as Telangana State Tourism ‘Brand Ambassador’ (sic).”
He added, "All the very best Harika. I am sure that you will do the justice to the role."
Here we go... https://t.co/pUDLjkR2sD
— Alekhya Harika (@harika_alekhya) March 8, 2021
Uppala Srinivas, following International Women's Day celebrations at the TSTDC office, said that now onwards, Telangana Tourism staff would wear handloom clothes to promote and support handloom weavers in the state.
The YouTuber’s services would be used by TSTDC to promote tourism in Telangana on different platforms.
Alekhya Harika was one of the top five contestants in season four of Bigg Boss Telugu and the first one to be eliminated from the race in the top five. Harika entered the Bigg Boss house from the fame that she attained through her YouTube channel ;Dethadi’, backed by Tamada media.
She has about 1.6 million subscribers. Alekya garnered fans on social media for her use of the Telangana dialect.
The 23-year-old was also seen on several Telugu TV shows along with her fellow Bigg Boss 4 contestants.
Earlier, when Sania Mirza was made brand ambassador for Telangana, a section of rightwing groups had opposed her appointment citing that she is married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. Similar calls had been made in February 2019, after 49 CRPF jawans were killed in a terror attack in Kashmir, despite Sania condemning the attacks.
"I don't need to condemn an attack publicly, or come and scream from rooftops all over social media that we are against terrorism... of course we are against terrorism and anyone that spread it... any person in their right mind is against terrorism and if they are not then that's a problem!! I play for my country, sweat for it and that's how I serve my country (sic)," she had said.