BJP perhaps doesn’t understand Southern states’ self-esteem as Congress does: Vijayashanthi

Vijayashanthi criticizes BJP for not understanding Southern India's political aspirations, sparking rumors of her return to BRS.

After lying low for several months since her entry into the Congress, film star Vijayashanthi made her first political statement saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not understood the aspirations of self-respect and identity that Southern India seeks in the Indian political landscape.

Taking to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), she questioned Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy’s opinion that Telangana doesn’t need the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) questioning its very existence in Telangana. She said politics in South India has always been led by the public sentiments for self-esteem and it has been continuing for long.

For people who don’t understand this should remember how the people responded to earlier generation leaders like MG Ramachandran, Karunanidhi, N.T. Rama Rao, Ramakrishna Hegde and Jayalalitha. A similar response is seen in the existence of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and Y.S.R. Congress Party (YSRCP) and this aspect needs to analysed.

The fact that the Congress understands the truth of the existence of self-respect in the south, perhaps the issue that the BJP has not thought of so far or at least it reflects in Mr. Kishan Reddy’s statements, she said in her post ending with ‘Har Har Mahdev’ and ‘Jai Telangana’. Mr. Kishan Reddy recently said that Telangana doesn’t need the BRS.

The positive element in favour of the BRS in her post is being read by people from a political perspective leading to rumours that Ms. Vijayashanthi is yet again moving towards the BRS.

Speaking to The Hindu, she denied such developments. She said her post should be read in the context that the regional parties reflect the sentiments of the people and they have more flexibility to fight for the regional aspirations. She said even people or the Congress party wanted to throw out the BRS government as BRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao had ignored people for his agenda and not decimate the party at all as the Congress doesn’t believe in such a political atmosphere.

Ms. Vijayashanthi joined the Congress from the BJP just before the Assembly elections. She was offered a ticket by the party in the Parliament elections but she refused to contest for personal reasons. Despite being the star campaigner she was not seen in the party campaign in the Parliament elections. AICC incharge of Telangana Deepa Dasmunshi also tried to get her into the party campaign personally.