Vijayshanti merges her party with TRS

Hyderabad, Jan 31 (IANS) Popular Telugu film actress Vijayshanti Saturday merged her Talli Telangana Party with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

She met TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao at the latter's residence here and became a member of TRS.

Vijayashanti, who earned the nickname 'Lady Amitabh' through her roles in several films, said she joined hands with TRS to achieve the common goal of separate statehood for the Telangana region.

'All pro-Telangana forces should join hands to achieve the common goal,' she said.

The actress joined TRS hours before the likely announcement by TRS to join a 'grand alliance' of opposition parties. Chandrasekhara Rao was likely to make a formal announcement later Saturday about TRS joining the alliance comprising Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India-Marxist.

Chandrasekhara Rao told reporters that Vijayashanti would be given an important role in the party but refused to elaborate. She is likely to contest the assembly or Lok Sabha elections.

Also known as the 'lady superstar', Vijayshanti joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1996. In 2005, she quit the party to launch the movement for a separate Telangana. The actress then formed Talli Telangana for the cause.

TRS hopes that Vijayshanti's move to join the party would strengthen the movement for a separate state. TRS will also be looking to capitalise on the glamour quotient she could provide in the ensuing elections to counter Praja Rajyam party chief and superstar Chiranjeevi and the ruling Congress party, which has also roped in several stars for its campaign.