NEWS
ANALYSIS
SPECIALS
INTERVIEW
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
ISSUES
GALLERY
MANIFESTOS
OVERHEARD
INDIA SPEAKS!
DISCUSSION GROUP
CHAT
PREVIOUS RESULTS
SCHEDULE

Jaya Prada won't contest against Jaipal

Shireen in Hyderabad

The Telugu Desam Party has fielded a lightweight against former Janata Dal leader S Jaipal Reddy, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate in the Miryalaguda constituency.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu cleared the candidature of Y Rangasai Reddy, a former mandal president of Nidamanur in Nalgonda district, for the seat.

Earlier, the chief minister had toyed with the idea of pitting eminent actress and Telugu Mahila (TDP women's wing) chairperson Jaya Prada against Jaipal Reddy in Miryalaguda.

However, Jaya Prada declined to contest the Lok Sabha election. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1996, Jaya Prada's term comes to an end in 2002.

The real reason for her reluctance to contest the Lok Sabha poll was the humiliation she had felt when the chief minister considered allotting the Cuddapah seat to the BJP and fielding film star Vijaya Shanti if Congress president Sonia Gandhi had contested from there.

Jaya Prada, who does not see eye to eye with Vijaya Shanti, was sore with Chandrababu Naidu over the issue.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this interview