“It was immature for an actor of his stature to make statements like that, especially on voting day,” said Alphonse Kannanthanam voicing out his displeasure against Malayalam superstar Mammootty. The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism and the BJP candidate from Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency is not happy about the impromptu press meet that Mammootty did, flanked by LDF candidate P Rajeev and UDF candidate Hibi Eden.
Outside the polling booth in Panampilly Nagar, Mammootty had said, "As far as I’m concerned, both these candidates are important. Sometimes we wish that all the candidates who are contesting are able to win. But I have only one vote and I can only vote for one person.” The actor then appealed to everyone to cast their votes.
Speaking to News 18, Alphonse Kannanthanam reacted, “Mammootty came out of the polling along with the CPI(M) candidate and the Congress candidate and he said that both of these candidates are important. What does that mean?” asked Kannanthanam.
“Is he sending out a message that the third candidate, Alphonse Kannanthanam who is a Union Minister and has 40 years of experience in public life is not a good candidate. I think he is being immature,” stated Kannanthanam.
Speaking to Asianet News, Alphonse said, “Mammootty knows there are three candidates, and a senior actor like him saying that is not good. I think his (Mammootty) problem is that I had gone to meet actor Mohanlal and I did not meet him.”