Jaya Prada joins BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls; likely to contest against Azam Khan in Rampur

Actor-turned-politician and former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Jaya Prada on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Jaya Prada might contest the General Elections from Rampur constituency. (Image: ANI)

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Actor-turned-politician and former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Jaya Prada on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. As per reports, Jaya Prada might contest the General Elections from Rampur constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Soon after joining the saffron fold, Prada said, "This is a special moment in my life. Whether cinema or politics, I have tried to work with all my heart. I thank BJP for giving me this position with all the respect." The former SP leader had won the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in 2004 and 2009 elections. Jaya Prada is considered close to former SP leader Amar Singh and both were expelled from the party back in 2010 for indulging in 'anti-party activities.' The SP-BSP-RLD alliance in UP has fielded SP heavyweight Azam Khan from Rampur, which he has been representing in the state Assembly for nine terms. Currently, BJP’s Nepal Singh is representing Rampur in Parliament. Jaya Prada started her political career with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1994 on the invitation from its founder NT Rama Rao. Later, she quit the party following differences with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and joined the SP.  She contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections on SP's ticket from Rampur and won the constituency by a margin of over 85,000 votes. Watch the video here: The for SP leader has a bitter rivalry with Khan and she has also accused him of distributing her nude images. Despite the differences, Prada contested the 2009 general elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket from Rampur and won again. After being expelled from SP, she floated her own party along with Amar Singh. Her party, the Rashtriya Lok Manch had even contested the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections but failed to win a single seat. Singh has been in close touch with the BJP over the past few years and is also one important person in Prada's political journey.