Vijayashanthi to dress like Indira

Vijayashanthi is called as ''Lady Bachchan'', fiery revolutionary ''Ramulamma'' (through her Telugu films) and also, the leader who represented the Medak Lok Sabha constituency and this time, she plans to dress like former prime minister Indira Gandhi, to woo the voters in the segment, which sent her (Indira) to Parliament in 1980-84.

One could say that Vijayashanti was one of the reasons for the growing wedge between the Congress and the TRS. She is blamed for desertion of some TRS rank and file, who joined the Congress. A furious TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao even complained to Digvijay Singh and urged the Congress not to admit politicians from the TRS.

But 10 years in AP politics has driven Vijayashanti from the BJP to the TRS and now, she is in the Congress. She is now seeking votes based on her credentials that she was born in Ramannagudem in Eturunagaram of Warangal district in Telangana, which will hold her as a local leader. In her election affidavit, she had declared  properties in Chennai, Hyderabad etc and assets totaling  Rs 30 crore, in all including agricultural land worth Rs 27 crore in Chennai .

Vijayashanti, who joined the Congress a month ago in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, wants to confront her erstwhile mentor K Chandrasekhar Rao for his alleged failures and policy glitches. “KCR is a political anarchist who exploited even the suicides of Telangana students for his personal and political gain,” she said after she joined the Congress.

Observers said the Vijayashanti episode gave the TRS the exit opportunity it was looking for in a situation where it was faced with the dilemma of either merging with the party or have a pre-poll alliance.

She was expelled by KCR in July 2013 because she refused to make way for KCR to contest from Medak parliament constituency.

During her days in TRS, she behaved as the right-hand of KCR but she was soon ignored and not even offered a chair next to him in press conferences and party forums. When an annoyed Vijayashanti walked out from one meeting, she was told not to come for any other meetings and stay away from the TRS headquarters. When reports of her parleys with Congress leaders came, KCR summarily suspended her and later expelled her from the party when she questioned him why she was not given due respect of an MP in the party.