After facing stiff opposition from actor Shivaji Raja, the outgoing president of Tollywood’s Movie Artists Association (MAA), actor Naresh is all set to take oath as the association’s new president in a ceremony to be held on Friday. Both Naresh and Shivaji were involved in a war of words after the latter refused to step down from his position as the association president until March 31.
In elections to the body that were held on March 10, Naresh defeated Shivaji in a close race, winning 298 votes whereas Shivaji managed to secure a total of 199 votes. Soon after the elections were over, Naresh announced that he would be officially taking charge as president on March 22, as the day was deemed auspicious for the actor.
Raising opposition, the incumbent president Shivaji, said that he wouldn’t step down until March 31, the last day for the official termination of his tenure. In an emergency meet that was held in the presence of the election returning officer Krishna Mohan last week, Naresh said that Shivaji had allegedly threatened to move the court if he was not allowed to continue in the position of the president until March 31.
In the wake of the news, Shivaji Raja held a press conference on Tuesday and told the media that according to the bye-laws of the association, he was fully entitled to continue as the president of the association until March 31. He also said that following the rules, Naresh could not take charge of office within ten days of the election.
However, things seemed to have been settled now and Naresh has announced his take-over as the president of the association in a ceremony to be held on Friday. Sources close to the actor also confirmed the same to TNM.
Along with Naresh, senior actor Jeevitha Rajasekhar will be taking charge as the general secretary while her husband actor Rajasekhar will be the new executive vice-president. Actors Rajeev Kanakala and Hema, from Shivaji’s panel, will be the new treasurer and vice-president of the association respectively.