Star-power for BJP: Jaya Prada joins party, to challenge SP in Rampur

In a boost for the Bharatiya Janata Party, actress-turned-politician Jaya Prada joined the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. She is being fielded from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh against the Samajwadi Party's Azam Khan in the upcoming polls. Jaya Prada began her political career with the Telugu Desam Party in 1994 but quit over differences with Chandrababu Naidu. She subsequently joined the Samajwadi Party but was expelled. She was also a part of the Rashtriya Lok Dal. Prada has represented the constituency of Rampur twice in the Lok Sabha.