Actress-turned politician Jaya Prada joins BJP

Welcoming her at the party headquarters here, BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said Ms Prada has vast political experience.

It was an important moment of her life, Prada said.

'Whether films or politics, anything I chose, I have accepted it wholeheartedly and tried to dedicate my life to the same,' she said, adding that for the first time she has joined a national party.

Impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi working with all strata of the society, Ms Prada has decided to join the party, Yadav said.

Jaya Prada is tipped to contest from Rampur seat, where she had won in the past.

If Jaya Prada decides to contest, she will be pitted against Samajwadi Party's Azam Khan. Jaya Prada and Azam Khan had a public fallout when both were part of the Samajwadi Party in 2009.

In her long political career, Jaya Prada has been part of several political outfits. She started her political stint with TDP, but later left the party after dispute with Chandrababu Naidu.

She later joined SP and became MP from Rampur in 2004 and 2009. However, she was expelled from SP in 2010.

Alongside, Amar Singh she later floated Rashtriya Lok Manch next year, but the party failed to gain any traction in Uttar Pradesh. In 2014, Jaya Prada contested Lok Sabha election unsuccessfully from Bijnor.

Image Credit: UNI