Hyderabad, Aug 2: Renowned Telugu actress and former MLA Jayasudha has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday.
The welcoming ceremony took place at the BJP office in Delhi, where BJP general secretary and Telangana in-charge Tarun Chug extended a warm welcome to Jayasudha. Notable personalities like Union Tourism Minister and state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy and party’s national vice-president D. K. Aruna were also present to mark the occasion.
This move comes shortly after Jayasudha’s meeting with Kishan Reddy, during which she was formally invited to join the BJP. Speculations had been rife for the past year about her inclination towards the party.
Earlier, BJP MLA and former minister Eatala Rajender had approached Jayasudha with an invitation to join the party. She communicated certain preconditions to the BJP leadership, expressing her willingness to join the party if those conditions were met.
Reportedly, the BJP has assured her of a party ticket in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for later this year. There are indications that she might contest from the Secunderabad Assembly constituency, which she had represented in the past.
This invitation to Jayasudha is part of BJP’s ongoing efforts to attract leaders from various political parties and notable figures, aiming to bolster its prospects for the 2023 Assembly elections.
In 2009, Jayasudha entered politics at the invitation of Congress leader and then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy. She successfully contested and won the Andhra Pradesh Assembly seat from the Secunderabad constituency that year. However, she could not retain the seat in the 2014 elections.
In 2016, she joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) but remained largely inactive within the party. In 2019, along with her son Nihar Kapoor, she became a part of the YSR Congress Party led by Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh that year.
Jayasudha has emphasized her close ties with Andhra Pradesh but clarified that she currently has no intentions of running in any elections.
