'Lady superstar' Vijayashanti makes 'ghar-wapsi' to BJP as party targets Telangana

Vijayashanti is the third high profile film star turned politician to leave the Congress party lately, after Khushbu Sundar and Urmila Matondkar

South India's “lady-superstar” Vijayashanti's career in politics turned full circle on Monday when she rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi.

In her political journey of over two decades till now, Vijayashanti was associated with two national parties, and in between launched her own party which she later merged with a regional party and became its Lok Sabha MP.

Vijayashanti's last affiliation was with the Congress as the Telangana PCC's poll campaign committee adviser. She however was keeping aloof from the party activities for some time now reportedly miffed at the state leadership for sidelining her.

Vijayashanti was instead busy the last couple of months with tweets targeting the TRS government of K Chandrasekhar Rao, alongside whom she had agitated for the Telangana statehood till 2014.

After merging her Talli Telangana party with the TRS, Vijayashanti was elected from Medak in 2009 general elections.

But months ahead of the state's formation in 2014, she quit TRS over purported differences with KCR and joined the Congress.

Soon after her re-induction on Monday, Vijayashanti tweeted a combo-picture of her alongside BJP stalwarts Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, and Venkaiah Naidu addressing reporters about 23 years ago and she with home minister Amit Shah, MoS (Home) Kishan Reddy and Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay on Sunday.

“First step under guidance of the great leaders then, forward step under the new generation leadership now,” Vijayashanti remarked.

After the height of her film career spanning five languages, and hailed as the “Lady Amitabh” in the nineties, Vijayashanti joined the BJP in 1998 and acted as the party's women wing secretary.

Known for her lady oriented roles, Vijayashanti received national award for her performance as an upright cop in 1990 Telugu film Karthavyam, which was subsequently remade in Hindi and other languages. Her latest appearance was in Mahesh Babu's Sarileru Neekevvaru.

Though Vijayashanti is largely perceived as a spent force in the Telangana political circles, the state BJP wants her joining projected as an endorsement of the saffron party's emergence in the state as the alternative to the Congress, and to target KCR expectantly.

Vijayashanti is the third high profile film star turned politician to leave the Congress party lately. Last week, Urmila Matondkar joined the Shiv Sena. In October, another hugely popular south actress, Khushbu Sundar joined the BJP.