Ever since Balakrishna, a member of the Telugu Desam Party, openly announced that his campaign in the run-up to the June 12 by-polls would be through his film, it was anticipated that Adhinayakudu will sooner or later land in trouble. The date has been advanced, however, by a complaint registered by a YSR Congress Party member with the Election Commission.

The member of the said party took exception to a dialogue from the film which is perceived as Balayya's indirect pooh-poohing of the statue-unveiling activities that were undertaken by some YSRCP leaders in the past. Following the complaint, Chief Electoral Office Bhanwar Lal directed the State Media Certification and Monitoring Committee to scrutinise the film before its release on June 1.

In case the EC is satisfied that the dialogue is political in nature, it will treat the film as "paid news" and add the film's budget to the permitted election expenditure of the TDP candidates in the poll fray. If, after adding up the film's cost to the candidates' budget, it exceeds the legal poll expenses, the candidates of the party will face EC censure, i.e., disqualification.

When it is elections time, EC rules, not Adhinayakudu or anyone.

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