Actor-Politician Vijayashanthi Rejoins Congress

Actress-turned-politician Vijayashanthi who resigned from the BJP, rejoined the Congress party on Friday in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, party sources said.

Kharge offered her a tricolour scarf and formally invited her to join the party.

The former BRS MP who left the Congress and joined the saffron party in 2020 was not active in BJP's programmes in recent times.

The actor-turned-politician began her political career in 2009 and was elected from Medak Lok Sabha seat on BRS (then TRS) ticket.

Later, due to differences with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, she joined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested from the same constituency.

Over the past 25 years, Vijayashanthi has been shuttling between the two national parties and TRS (now BRS). She initially joined the Andhra Pradesh BJP in 1997, departed to join the Telangana movement, and affiliated with TRS in 2009. Her journey continued as she left TRS to join Congress in 2014 but then switched to BJP in 2020.

Speculation about her departure from BJP has circulated for the last six months, citing her discontent with the party's functioning in the state. Despite efforts by senior party leaders to persuade her to remain, she has opted to rejoin Congress. Her anticipated re-entry into the grand old party is expected to take place in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.