Jagadish backs out of AMMA poll fray. 'I don't want to be a hurdle for women...'

Actor Jagadish, who is beloved among Malayalis for his portrayal of both humorous and serious characters, has withdrawn his nomination for the post of president in Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The actor told Onmanorama that he did not directly withdraw the nomination but sent a request for withdrawal as he is currently in Mumbai. The actor said superstars Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi have agreed to the same. He, however, dismissed allegations that he had not informed the duo prior to submitting the nominations for the post.

"I am in Mumbai currently and have sent the request for withdrawal from here. I was awaiting Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi's response regarding my decision to withdraw my nomination. Since they agreed, I submitted my request. It is false to say that I did not inform them about my decision to contest the elections. They were in the know-how and they had given their approval for the same. So, these are all baseless allegations," he said.

The actor announced that he has decided to withdraw his name from the election, stating that he did not want to hinder the women competing for the same position. Jagadish was in the fray to the post of president along with actors Shwetha Menon and Devan. Although he presented this as the reason for his decision to step back, some sources suggest that he realised he had very little support within the organisation. Actor Maala Parvathi alleged that there was discontent among AMMA members regarding Jagadish's decision to run for the position of president, citing his hypocritical stance during the Hema Committee expose.