Now that Vijayashanthi heading to the Telangana Legislative Council, Congress leaders are hoping for some fireworks.
Published Mar 11, 2025 | 8:59 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 11, 2025 | 8:59 PM
Vijayashanthi. (X)
Synopsis: Congress nominated actor-turned-politician Vijayashanthi to be in the Telangana Legislative Council under the MLAs’ quota. Her political career has been a rollercoaster with short stints in different parties. However, Congress expects that Vijayashanthi, undoubtedly a powerful speaker, could take on the BRS.
The Congress sure knows how to keep everyone on their toes! In yet another unexpected move, the party has picked yesteryear’s “Lady Amitabh” Vijayashanthi to be in the Telangana Legislative Council under the MLAs’ quota.
After stepping away from the silver screen, Vijayashanthi turned to another stage — politics — where, just like in films, power, drama, and grandstanding come as part of the package.
Her political debut happened in 1998 when she joined the BJP and quickly made a name for herself as a firebrand leader. She almost had her big moment in 1999 when the BJP pitted her against Sonia Gandhi in the Kadapa Lok Sabha elections.
However, just as she was about to step into the spotlight, the opportunity vanished — Sonia decided not to contest from Kadapa and the BJP withdrew Vijayashanthi’s candidature.
From then on, her political journey was nothing short of a rollercoaster.
After starting in the BJP, she launched her own political party, Talli Telangana, in 2005, only to merge it with the BRS later. Her breakthrough came in 2009 when she won the Medak Lok Sabha seat on a BRS ticket.
She even held the prestigious post of secretary general in the party. However, as politics goes, ego clashes with K Chandrashekar Rao led her to switch gears and join the Congress in 2014. However, her fortunes didn’t quite turn around — she contested the Assembly elections from Medak on a Congress ticket and lost.
The Congress, however, saw potential in her and made her a star campaigner for the 2018 Assembly elections. Just when people thought she was settled, another twist came along.
In 2019, she made headlines by calling Narendra Modi a terrorist — only to join the BJP the following year in 2020! Subsequently, in November 2023, right before the Telangana Assembly elections, she switched sides yet again, rejoining the Congress in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
And then? She disappeared, something she seems to have mastered over the years, only to resurface in Delhi recently to remind the party of its promise to give her a seat in the Legislative Council.
Congress, known for its unpredictable moves, actually honored the promise, despite many others waiting in line for the same opportunity.
Getting into the Council via the MLAs’ quota is the easiest way to secure a position — no election hassles, no door-to-door campaigning. Just file your nomination and wait for the party to do the rest.
While Vijayashanthi is undoubtedly a powerful speaker, her contributions to the Congress haven’t exactly been consistent. She tends to emerge only around election time and then conveniently vanishes. Now that she’s heading to the Legislative Council, Congress leaders are hoping for some fireworks.
After all, she can deliver fiery speeches when given the right script. And as a seasoned actress, delivering lines with conviction comes as second nature to her.
“I have always worked for the Congress. Even in the 2023 Assembly elections, I campaigned. But in a party, there is a system — I can’t just speak whenever I feel like it. I talk when I am asked to talk. The high command believes I can take on the opposition BRS, and I will definitely do it,” she said, clearly thrilled with her new role.
And with that, Vijayashanthi is back in the game. Let’s see how this act plays out!
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
