From TDP To BJP, This Is Jaya Prada's Fifth Party

Actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday and reports say that she may contest from Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur. 

The BJP is the fifth political party for Prada, who began her political career with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1994 at the invitation of its founder NT Rama Rao. She was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1996, representing Andhra Pradesh. However, Prada quit the party following differences with Chandrababu Naidu , according to DNA . 

She later joined the Samajwadi Party and successfully contested election from Rampur in 2004 and 2009 on the party’s ticket. In 2010, she and close associate Amar Singh were expelled from the party following differences with Mulayam Singh Yadav, according to NDTV . 

Singh floated his own political party, called the Rashtriya Lok Manch, in 2011. During the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Rashtriya Lok Manch drew a blank as none of its 360 candidates were able to win any seat.

Then in 2014, ahead of the general elections, she joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and fought the Lok Sabha election on the party ticket from Bijnor. She, however, lost the seat.

Prada has now joined the BJP ahead of this year’s general elections. Speculations are rife that she will contest from Rampur and take on SP leader Azam Khan.

After joining the party on Tuesday, she was quoted as saying by NDTV , “I am a part of a national party and I’m in a party where the leader leads on issues of national security... I’m honoured to work under PM Modi’s leadership.”

(With PTI inputs)