Minister of Backward Classes Welfare of AP Basavaraju Saraiah is an Indian politician from Telangana. He served as Minister for backward castes welfare in the Kiran Kumar Reddy led AP State Cabinet and MLA of Warangal East with Congress party.[1] He joined Bharat Rastra Samithi on 23 February 2016. He was appointed as Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Vice President on 9 June 2025. Basavaraju Saraiah Minister of Backward Classes Welfare of Andhra Pradesh In office 2009–2014 Constituency Warangal East Member of the Telangana Legislative Council Incumbent Assumed office 14 November 2020 Member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly In office 1999–2014 Succeeded by Konda Surekha Personal details Born 5 December 1955 (age 70) Warangal Party Indian National Congress (until February 2016 & July 2024 to now) Other political affiliations Bharat Rashtra Samithi (2016-2024)

Deshapathi Srinivas (born 1970) is an Indian lyricist, singer and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Chief Minister, Government of Telangana.[1] He is one of the key leaders of Telangana Separation Movement. His songs are eloquent. He is an advocate for the separation of Telangana.[2][3][4] He takes an active role in Government of Telangana, Telugu language promotion.[5] Early life He was born in a village in Siddipet, Medak district, Telangana to Gopalakrisha and Bala Saraswati. His father use to write poems in Telugu and Urdu. He did his graduation in Medak. Career Deshapati Srinivas was a school teacher. He travels to all major public meetings and rallies organised for Telangana Separation. He is often invited to Television talk shows to discuss Telangana Movement.[6] His lyrics are sometimes used in movies. He is famous for singing popular Telangana song, Nageti sallala na Telangana, which was written by Nandini Sidda Reddy. Political career Deshapathi Srinivas who was serving as Officer on Special Duty in the Chief Minister’s Office his name was announced as MLC candidate under the MLA quota for the State Legislative Council by BRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on 7 March 2023[7] and he was elected unopposed As the Opposition parties did not have the required strength to field candidates. Member of Legislative Council Incumbent Assumed office 30 March 2023 Constituency MLA quota Personal details Born 1970 (age 55–56) Siddipet, Telangana, India) Occupation Ex Officer on special duty to chief minister Government of Telangana Known for Activist, Singer, Lyricist

Banda Prakash Mudiraj (born 1954) is an Indian politician who is currently Deputy Chair of the Telangana Legislative Council from 12 February 2023. Also He is the Member of Telangana Legislative Council from 22 November 2021. Earlier he served as Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha representing Telangana from 23 March 2018 to 4 December 2021.[1][2] He won the voting with 33 votes.[3] He is the President of Telangana Mudiraj Mahasabha. He belongs to Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana.[4] Banda Prakash was unanimously elected as Deputy Chair of the Telangana Legislative Council on 12 February 2023.[5] Life Banda Prakash was born to Banda Satyanarayana in Warangal district in Telangana. He did his Ph.D. from Kakatiya University in 1996. Deputy Chair of the Telangana Legislative Council Incumbent Assumed office 12 February 2023 Governor • Tamilisai Soundararajan •C.P. Radhakrishnan (additional charge) •Jishnu Dev Varma Leader of the House ▪︎ K. Chandrashekar Rao ▪︎ Revanth Reddy Chair Gutha Sukender Reddy Preceded by Nethi Vidya Sagar Member of Legislative Council Telangana Incumbent Assumed office 22 November 2021 Constituency Elected by MLAs Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha In office 3 April 2018 – 4 December 2021 Preceded by Palvai Govardhan Reddy, INC Succeeded by Vaddiraju Ravi Chandra, BRS Constituency Telangana Personal details Born Warangal Party Bharat Rashtra Samithi

Lgandula Ramana, popularly known as L. Ramana, was born on 4 September 1961 in Jagtial.[1] He is EX President of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for Telangana state. He is the son of Ganga Ram. Lgandula Ramana is a Bharat Rashtra Samithi politician[2] from Karimnagar. Personal life He is a graduate with a Bachelor of Science from SKNR Degree College (1978–81). He is a politician and social worker by profession. He was married to Sandhya on 8 August 1990. He has two Positions held Member of Legislative Assembly AP (2009–2014) A.P. Khadi Village Industries Board Chairman Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (11th) - 1996-98 Member of AP Legislative Assembly - 1994-96 Minister of Handlooms and Textiles - 1994-96 Former President of Telangana Telugu Desam Party Member of Telangana Legislative Council - Present Member of Telangana Legislative Council Incumbent Assumed office 2021 Constituency Local Authorities Karimnagar Member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly In office 1994–1996 Preceded by T. Jeevan Reddy Succeeded by T. Jeevan Reddy Constituency Jagtial In office 2009–2014 Preceded by T. Jeevan Reddy Succeeded by M. Sanjay Kumar Constituency Jagtial 1st President of Telugu Desam Party Telangana unit In office 30 September 2015 – 9 July 2021 National President N. Chandrababu Naidu Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Bakkani Narasimhulu Personal details Born 4 September 1961 (age 64) Jagtial, Karimnagar, Telangana Party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (since 2021) Other political affiliations Telugu Desam Party (until 2021) Spouse Sandhya ​(m. 1990)​ Children L.Manikanta, L.Karthikeya

2nd Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council Sirikonda Madusudhana Chary (born 1962) is an Indian politician who served as the 1st Speaker of Telangana Legislative Assembly from 9 June 2014 to 16 January 2019 & now serving the LOP in TG Legislative Council. He won from Bhupalapalli constituency in Warangal in 2014 general elections.[1] He is the former MLA of Bhupalapalli Constituency from 2018 Assembly Elections. He belongs to Telangana Rashtra Samithi and is a member of its Politburo. He lost the Telangana Legislative Assembly election held in December 2018. Early life He was born in Narsakkapalli village, Parkal, Warangal, Telangana to Venkatanarasaiah. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Kakatiya University, Warangal. Career He joined Telugu Desam in 1982 and was an MLA for Telugu Desam in 1994-99 from Shyampet in Warangal district and joined Lakshmi Parvathi's NTR-TDP in 1996 after the crisis. During this term when cotton farmers were committing suicides across Telangana region, he brought a bottle of pesticide to the Legislative Assembly in order to bring to the notice of the highest house in the state. One of the biggest influences in taking the movement of Telangana forward was when Hanmakonda legislator, Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar was forbidden to use the word Telangana on the floor of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 2000 when Telugu Desam was in power. Telangana Rashtra Samithi He started working with K. Chandrashekar Rao 10–12 months before the TRS party was formally launched in April 2001. He lent a great support to the Telangana statehood movement by providing intellectual support. He was a founding member and was made General Secretary in October 2001.[2] He was politburo member and General Secretary. He also worked as a TRS party spokesperson and also very close to Prof. Jayashankar. He won as an MLA in 2014 General elections from Bhupalapalle defeating former Chief Whip, Gandra Venkataramana Reddy.[3][4] He lost the election from the same constituency in 2009. He lost in 2018 elections from the same constituency. Speaker of Telangana Legislative Assembly He became the first Speaker of Telangana Assembly. He was elected unanimously on 9 June 2014. Telangana Legislative Council Member Madhusudhana Chary has been nominated to Legislative Council under Governor's quota on 19 November 2021.[5] Personal life He is married to Uma Devi. He has three sons, Pradeep, Prashanth and Kranth. 2nd Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council Incumbent Assumed office 11 September 2024 Preceded by D. Srinivas, INC 1st Speaker of Telangana Legislative Assembly In office 10 June 2014 – 17 January 2019 Deputy Padma Devender Reddy, TRS Preceded by Position Established Succeeded by Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, TRS Constituency Bhupalpalle, Telangana Personal details Born 13 October 1956 (age 69) Narsakkapalli, Andhra Pradesh, (present-day Warangal district, Telangana) India Party Bharat Rashtra Samithi Alma mater Kakatiya University, MA English (Literature)

4th President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud is an Indian politician from Telangana. He is currently serving as President of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee from 6 September 2024. He was elected unanimously as member of the Telangana Legislative Council under the MLA quota on 22 January 2024. He was the Working President of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee from 28 June 2021 to 6 September 2024.[2][3] Political career Mahesh Kumar Goud started his political journey with NSUI and later he was the NSUI State President in the 90's and held various positions in the Congress party. He contested the 1994 assembly elections as a Congress candidate from Ditchpally constituency at a young age and lost. Mahesh Kumar served as Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation from 2013 to 2014. Mahesh Kumar Unsuccessfully contested from Nizamabad Urban constituency in 2014 assembly elections and later that he worked as PCC Secretary, Spokesperson and PCC General Secretary. Mahesh Kumar Goud was appointed as the TPCC working president on 26 June 2021,[4] and later appointed asa special invitee in TPCC Political Affairs Executive Committee on 10 December 2022.[5] Mahesh Kumar Goud played a pivotal role in coordinating the party cadre and leaders. He was a strong aspirant for the Nizamabad Urban seat in 2023 Telangana Legislative Elections he was convinced to sacrifice his seat to former Minister Md. Ali Shabbir the TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy's decision to contest from Kamareddy seat. Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud's candidature was announced for member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the MLAs' quota on 17 January 2024[6][7] and filed his nomination on 18 January 2024[8] and as no other nomination was filed from others, the election authorities declared him elected unopposed as MLC on 22 January 2024[9] and he took oath as Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) on 31 January 2024 in Legislative council chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy's chamber. Mahesh Kumar Goud was appointed as President of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee on 6 September 2024[10] and took charge on 15 September 2024 at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad. 4th President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Incumbent Assumed office 6 September 2024 AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge Preceded by Anumula Revanth Reddy Member of Telangana Legislative Council Incumbent Assumed office 22 January 2024 Preceded by Kadiyam Srihari Constituency Elected by MLAs Personal details Born 24 May 1966 (age 60) Rahamat Nagar, Bheemgal Mandal, Nizamabad District, Telangana, India Party Indian National Congress Spouse Sandhya Rani Children Rithwik Goud, Pranav Goud Parents Bomma Gangadhar Goud (father) Bomma Mannemma (mother)

Malka Komaraiah is an Indian politician from Telangana. He was elected as a member in the Telangana Legislative Council election from Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Teacher's constituency on 3 March 2025.[1][2] He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He owns Delhi Public School branches in Nacharam, Nadergul, Mahendra Hills, and Pallavi educational institutes in Peddapalli, Nirmal and Hyderabad.[3] He belongs to the Munnuru Kapu community, categorized as Other Backward Class (OBC) in Telangana. Political career Mr. Komaraiah entered politics by joining Bharatiya Janata Party and aspired Malkajgiri Lok Sabha ticket in 2024 Parliamentary elections. He was named as BJP candiadete for Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Teachers’ constituency which held on 27 February 2025 and won as MLC by defeating his nearest rival PRTU candidate Vanga Mahender Reddy with a margin of 5,777 first preference votes.[4][5] Komaraiah secured 12,959 votes, Mahender Reddy got 7,182 votes out of the total 25,041 polled votes, in which 897 votes were declared invalid. Malka Komaraiah Member of the Telangana Legislative Council Incumbent Assumed office 30 March 2025 Preceded by Kura Raghotham Reddy Constituency Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad Teachers Constituency Personal details Born Bandhampally, Peddapalli, Telangana, India Party Bharatiya Janata Party Occupation Politician Educationalist Businessman

Sri Kurumaiahgari Naveen Kumar is an Indian politician serving as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in Telangana. He represents the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, formerly known as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). [1, 2, 3] ## Political Career & Profile * Current MLC Tenure: He was elected under the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) quota. His current term began on March 30, 2023, and runs until March 29, 2029. He previously served an initial term following a by-election victory in 2019. [3, 4, 5, 6] * Party Association: He has been a long-time close associate of BRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR). He actively participated in the separate-Telangana movement starting from 2001. [6] * Key Role: He is known for playing a critical role in local election strategic committees, including the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) campaigns. [6] ## Personal & Professional Details * Background: Born on May 15, 1978, in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. He is the son of Sri K. Kondal Rao and Smt. K. Thilothamma. * Education: He holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree. * Business Associations: Outside of politics, he is a registered business professional and director associated with multiple corporate entities. * Family: He is married to Smt. K. Dharani, and the couple has two sons and one daughter. [1, 2, 5, 7, 8] You can find more official records via the [Telangana Legislature Profile](https://legislature.telangana.gov.in/getmlcmemberdetailsnew?q=bWVtaWQ9NzImY29uc3RpZD0yMQ==) or verify his political history on the [MyNeta Candidate Affidavit Database](http://myneta.info/telanganamlc_new/candidate.php?candidate_id=79). [1, 5] [1] [https://legislature.telangana.gov.in](https://legislature.telangana.gov.in/getmlcmemberdetailsnew?q=bWVtaWQ9NzImY29uc3RpZD0yMQ==) [2] [https://theleaderspage.com](https://theleaderspage.com/k-naveen-kumar/) [3] [https://en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telangana_Legislative_Council) [4] [https://www.myneta.info](https://www.myneta.info/telanganamlc_new/comparisonchart.php?constituency_id=34) [5] [https://myneta.info](http://myneta.info/telanganamlc_new/candidate.php?candidate_id=79) [6] [https://www.newindianexpress.com](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2019/May/28/naveen-kumar-to-be-trs-candidate-for-mlc-byelections-1982678.html) [7] [https://hellohyderabad.org](https://hellohyderabad.org/people/sri-naveen-kumar-kurumaiahgari/) [8] [https://www.zaubacorp.com](https://www.zaubacorp.com/NAVEEN-KUMAR-KURMAIAHGARI-01569214)

Nellikanti Satyam (born 6 June 1969) is an Indian politician from Telangana. He was elected unanimously as Member of Telangana Legislative Council on 13 March 2025.[1] He earlier served as CPI Nalgonda district secretary. Political career Nellikanti Satyam started his political career with Communist Party of India and held various position in the party and he was announced as MLC candidate under the MLAs quota on 9 March 2025[2] and filed his nomination on March 10 and was elected unanimously as Member of Telangana Legislative Council on 13 March 2025. Nellikanti Satyam Member of Legislative Council Telangana Incumbent Assumed office 30 March 2025 Constituency Elected by MLAs Personal details Born 6 June 1969 (age 57) Yelagalagudem, Munugode Mandal, Nalgonda, Telangana, India Party Communist Party of India Spouse Annapurna Parent(s) Peddayya, Parvatamma Occupation Politician

Dr. Dasoju Sravan Kumar (born 7 September 1966) is an Indian politician from Telangana State. He was named as BRS candidate for MLC elections under the MLA quota on 9 March 2025[1] and unanimously elected as Member of Telangana Legislative Council on 13 March 2025.[2] Political career Dasoju Sravan Kumar started his career as RSS activist and was elected as general secretary of ABVP Arts College, Osmania University. He actively participated in all student movements and also fought for the rights of weaker sections. Sravan later joined Praja Rajyam Party and unsuccessfully contested from Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency in 2009 Loksabha elections and stood third place with 91,414 votes.[3][4] and later started taking active part in the Telangana movement and joined TRS Party he emerged as the Vocal Telangana Activist and a face of the Historical Struggle during the Telangana movement under Telangana ideologue Prof Jayashankar Sir and BRS founder KCR's mentoring. He was later appointed as TRS Politburo member and TRS party's official spokesperson. Dasoju Sravan Wanted to contest in elections from Bhongir or Musheerabad, But failed to get TRS party ticket and later he joined Congress Party on 12 April 2014 and was appointed as the Chief Spokesperson of TPCC[5] Dasoju Sravan Kumar unsuccessfully contested from Khairatabad Assembly Constituency in 2018 Telangana Assembly Elections[6][7] and later he was appointed as All India Congress Committee (AICC) National Spokesperson.[8] He left Congress blaming the functioning style of TPCC President Revanth Reddy and joined Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Telangana BJP in-charge Tarun Chugh on 5 August 2022.[9][10] Sravan quit BJP and returned to Telangana Rashtra Samithi ahead of the Munugode Assembly Constituency byelection on 21 October 2022.[11][12][13] Sravan Kumar named as MLC under the Governor’s quota by BRS party in August 2023 after State Cabinet’s decision,[14] but were rejected by the Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan referring to Article 171(5) of the Constitution, which says that Members of Legislative Councils nominated by the Governor shall have "special knowledge or practical experience" related to "literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social service."[15][16] Dasoju Sravan Kumar was named as BRS MLC candidate under the MLA quota on 9 March 2025 and unanimously elected as Member of Telangana Legislative Council on 13 March 2025.[17][18][19] He took oath as MLC on 16 April 2025. Member of Legislative Council Telangana Incumbent Assumed office 30 March 2025 Constituency Elected by MLAs Personal details Born 7 September 1966 (age 59) Nalgonda, Telangana, India Party Bharat Rashtra Samithi Other political affiliations Indian National Congress Bharatiya Janata Party Praja Rajyam Party Spouse Shashikala Children Mrinal, Gowri Narayani Parent(s) Late Dasoju Krishnamachary, Jogamma Alma mater Osmania University

Sunkari Raju, popularly known as Shambipur Raju, is an active Indian politician from Telangana serving as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) representing the Ranga Reddy Local Authorities constituency. He belongs to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). [1, 2, 3] ## Personal & Professional Profile * Political Affiliation: [Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)](https://legislature.telangana.gov.in/getmlcmemberdetailsnew?q=bWVtaWQ9NTQmY29uc3RpZD04). * Key Roles: Serves as the BRS District President for Medchal-Malkajgiri and the BRS State Youth President. * Date of Birth: 4 January 1980. * Place of Birth: Shambhipur, Telangana. * Parents: Son of Sri S. Anjaneyulu (Anjaiah) and Smt. S. Vinoda. * Spouse: Smt. S. Lavanya. * Education: Secondary School Certificate (SSC) / 10th Pass. [1, 2, 4, 5, 6] ## Tenure and Political Activities He was re-elected to the [Telangana Legislative Council](https://legislature.telangana.gov.in/councilmemprofile?selectedtab=m) under the Local Authorities category, with his current term extending until 4 January 2028. In the council, he remains an active opposition voice, frequently raising issues concerning regional infrastructure, government policies, and public welfare. You can view his official legislative profile on the Telangana Legislature Platform. [2, 7, 8] [1] [https://www.instagram.com](https://www.instagram.com/shambipur_raju/) [2] [https://legislature.telangana.gov.in](https://legislature.telangana.gov.in/getmlcmemberdetailsnew?q=bWVtaWQ9NTQmY29uc3RpZD04) [3] [https://legislature.telangana.gov.in](https://legislature.telangana.gov.in/councilmemprofile) [4] [https://www.myneta.info](https://www.myneta.info/telanganamlc/candidate.php?candidate_id=2) [5] [https://www.scribd.com](https://www.scribd.com/document/911326555/MLC-RAJU) [6] [https://hellohyderabad.org](https://hellohyderabad.org/people/sri-sunkari-raju/) [7] [https://www.myneta.info](https://www.myneta.info/telanganamlc_new/candidate.php?candidate_id=11) [8] [https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ueeopF_Moo)

Teenmar Mallanna (Chintapandu Naveen Kumar) (born 17 January 1983) is an Indian politician from Telangana. He was elected as MLC in Telangana Legislative Council by election from Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam graduate MLC constituency in June 2024.[1] He was a presenter of a satirical news bulletin "Teenmaar News" on V6 news channel during the Telangana agitation, and popularly known by his screen name Teenmaar Mallanna. Political career Teenmar Mallanna contested as Congress party candidate from Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam graduate MLC constituency in 2015 and finished third with BJP in second place and TRS candidate Palla Rajeshwar Reddy being the winner. He later contested unsuccessfully in Huzurnagar Assembly bypoll in 2019 and lost deposit, after the resignation of sitting MLA N Uttam Kumar Reddy following his election to the Lok Sabha.[2] In 2021 Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam graduate MLC elections Mallanna contested as Independent candidate and secured 83,520 votes, while TRS candidate Palla Rajeshwar Reddy remained victorious with 1,11,090 votes and won by a majority of 12,806 votes.[3][4] He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2021 and quit in 2022.[5][6] Teenmaar Mallanna has joined the Congress party on 8 November 2023 in the presence of AICC Telangana Incharge Manikrao Thakare, TPCC Working President Mahesh Kumar Goud[7][8] and later he was appointed Campaign Committee Convenor for 2023 Telangana Assembly Elections.[citation needed] Teenmar Mallanna was named as Congress Candidate for 2024 Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam graduate MLC bypoll which was held in 2024. The MLC by-election was necessitated by the resignation of sitting BRS MLC Palla Rajeswar Reddy as he was elected to the Telangana Legislative Assembly held in December 2023. Mallanna was elected as an MLC as he got the highest number of votes among all the contestants, as no candidate crossed the magic figure of 1,55,095 after the first preference votes.[9][10] Mallanna criticized and burned the caste survey report released by the Telangana government in February and later Disciplinary Action Committee (DCA) of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) issued him a show cause notice indulging in anti-party activities and asked him to submit his explanation on or before February 12. But the DAC has not received any explanation from him and he was dismissed from the Congress party on 1 March 2025. Member of Legislative Council, Telangana Incumbent Assumed office 7 June 2024 Preceded by Palla Rajeshwar Reddy Constituency Warangal–Nalgonda–Khammam Graduates Personal details Born Chintapandu Naveen Kumar 17 January 1983 (age 43) Madhapuram Village, Thurkapally MandaI, Nalgonda District, Telangana. Party Telangana Rajyadhikara Party Other political affiliations Indian National Congress (2023–2025) Bharatiya Janata Party (2021–2022) Spouse Kondapuram Mathamma Children 3 Parent Chintapandu Bagaiah (father) Education (Osmania University) MBA (JNTUH) Occupation PoliticianJournalist

Moturi Vijaya Shanthi[2] (born 24 June 1966) is an Indian actress, film producer and politician. In a film career spanning 40 years, she has acted in 200 feature films in a variety of roles in various languages predominantly in Telugu films, in addition to Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam films. She is widely referred to as the "Lady Superstar", "Lady Amitabh"[3][4][5][6] and "Action Queen of Telugu Cinema".[7][8] Vijayashanti holds the record for the most "Industry Hits" in Telugu cinema for a heroine, with five films emerging as the top-grossers of their time—a feat unmatched by any actress in the industry's 100-year history.[9] She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her work as a female cop in Kartavyam for depicting both aggression and femininity with balance and restraint (1990).[10] She is a recipient of several accolades, including four Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards for Best Actress, seven Filmfare Awards South together with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, and the Kalaimamani Award from Tamil Nadu Government. Having made her acting debut in the Tamil film Kallukkul Eeram (1980), she went on to star in successful films like Netrikkan (1981), Neti Bharatam (1983), Agni Parvatam (1985), Challenge (1984), Pratighatana (1985), Muddula Krishnayya (1986), Repati Pourulu (1986), Pasivadi Pranam (1987), Muvva Gopaludu (1987), Yamudiki Mogudu (1988), Athaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu (1989), Janaki Ramudu (1988), Muddula Mavayya (1989), Kondaveeti Donga (1990), Karthavyam (1990), Indrudu Chandrudu (1989), Lorry Driver (1990), Sathruvu (1990), Gang Leader (1991), Mannan (1992), Rowdy Inspector (1992), Mondi Mogudu Penki Pellam (1992), Chinarayudu (1993) and Police Lockup (1993), Osey Ramulamma (1997). Vijaya Shanthi had established herself as one of the leading actresses of Telugu cinema.[11][12] In 1987, she appeared in Swayam Krushi alongside Chiranjeevi, which was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival, and Padamati Sandhya Ragam with Hollywood actor Thomas Jane, which was screened at the Louisville International Film Festival.[13] She entered state politics in 1998.[14][15] She served as the Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha, representing the Medak constituency from Telangana Rashtra Samithi. As of November 2023, she is a member of the Indian National Congress. Early life Vijaya Shanthi was born on 24 June 1966[16][17] in Madras to Satti Srinivasa Prasad, a native of Anaparthi, in East Godavari, and his wife, Satti Varalakshmi, a native of Warangal and elder sister of actress and producer Vijayalalitha.[18][19] Vijaya Shanthi has said that she prefers to think of herself as being from Telangana rather than Madras, although as of 2004 she had never visited her ancestral village of Ramannagudem near Eturnagaram.[20] She completed her 10th class at Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai, before starting her film career.[21] Film career Early career (1980-1982) Vijaya Shanthi began her acting career at the age of 14 in 1980, Tamil film Kallukkul Eeram, directed by Bharathiraja. In the same year, she debuted in Telugu cinema with the movie Kilaadi Krishnudu, opposite Krishna, directed by Vijaya Nirmala. She got a role in the Telugu film Satyam-Sivam (1981), the cast of which included N. T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Balance of glamour and women-centric roles (1983–1993) Initially she played many character role like sister, daughter and then after a couple of inconsequential movies came Pellichoopulu (1983), which brought recognition to her as a star. This was a remake of K. Bhagyaraj's Tamil film Thooral Ninnu Pochchu. Her breakthrough movie was Neti Bharatam (1983), and from there she started acting in women-centric roles, teaming up with T. Krishna. He spotted her on the sets of his friend Madala Rangarao's Navodayam. He saw her perform and predicted that she would turn out to be a good actress. In 1985, Pratighatana, one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, won her accolades and a state Nandi Award for the first time. She delivered a powerful performance in the song "Ee Dhuryodhana Dusshasana", penned by legendary lyricist Veturi and powerfully sung by S. Janaki. In K. Viswanath's Swayam Krushi, where she acts as an illiterate woman who falls in love with a cobbler. Her dialogue "Atta Soodamakayya" is highly applauded along with her performance in Swayam Krushi. In 1992 Mondi Mogudu Penki Pellam was a huge success. Vijaya Shanthi played a bold lady speaking Telangana slang and delivered the career-defining song "Laloo Darwaja Laskar". In 1994 it was remade into Hindi as Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin. In the 1990s, Vijayashanti was the highest-paid heroine in India and her remuneration was equal to her co-stars Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan.[22] Her collaboration with Chiranjeevi (19 films) and Nandamuri Balakrishna (17 films) were huge hits at the box office. She starred alongside Rajinikanth as the antagonist in the film Mannan, and with Kamal Haasan as an investigative reporter in Indrudu Chandrudu. She acted in two movies with Suresh Gopi, Yuvathurki and Kallu Kondoru Pennu. She produced the film Nippu Ravva (1993), starring Balakrishna, under the banner Yuvarathna Arts. Hindi cinema (1989–1997) In 1989, she was introduced to Hindi cinema by K. Viswanath alongside Anil Kapoor in the film Eeshwar, a remake of his Telugu film Swathi Muthyam. Her second Hindi film was Muqaddar Ka Badshaah, a remake of the Telugu film Aswaddama. In the Hindi version, she acted with another National Award-winning actress - Shabana Azmi. Her other starrers are Apradhi, in which she is co-starring with Anil Kapoor and Tejaswini, a remake of Karthavyam, directed by N. Chandra. Another Bollywood movie of hers is Gundagardi (1997), starring Dharmendra in an action role. In 1996, she was paired opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Zamaanat, directed by S. Ramanathan,[citation needed] but the film was shelved. National Award and woman-oriented roles (1990–2006) In a carefully nurtured career, Vijayashanthi reached the status of a "HERO" at box office parlance. In the blockbuster movie Karthavyam (1990), her performance as a tough cop under the direction of Mohan Gandhi won her the National Film Award from the Government of India and an Andhra Pradesh State award for best actress. Actor Ravi Teja was introduced in the film as a side artist. The film was made with a budget of about 90 lakh rupees and grossed over 7 crores in southern territories alone.[23] The film was screened at the 14th International Film Festival of India in the mainstream section.[24] She was the third woman from Telugu cinema to win the award after Sharada and Archana. The success of this movie saw her moving away from glamorous roles and limiting herself to woman-oriented roles. "There were people who questioned how can a Heroine attain the image of Hero & charge highest remuneration. But, I had overcome all the hurdles and answered critics with successful films," she answered. Vijaya Shanthi didn't rely on stunt doubles for performing risky stunts in many films. There were times when she jumped from a height of 30 feet and she hardly cared about the injuries.[25] In 1990, Karthavyam was dubbed into Tamil as Vyjayanthi IPS and its success brought her fame in Tamil cinema. (It was also remade in Hindi as Tejaswini, with herself playing the lead role. This, too, did very well at the Hindi box office.) The film inspired the then 10-year old C. Indhumathi to take up the civil services exam; she cleared the UPSC exam and bagged 151st rank and placed in Madurai.[26] Vyjayanthi IPS ran for 50 days in Vetri theater in Chennai. This record was broken by a dubbed version of Baahubali in August 2015.[27] A. M. Ratnam, Vijaya Shanthi's personal make-up man, turned out to be a money-making producer. As an executive producer for Vijaya Shanthi, he made the award-winning Karthavyam on the banner of Sri Surya Movies. On the same banner, she produced and acted in Aashayam released in 1993, which had a decent run. In Police Lockup she played a dual role, directed by Kodi Ramakrishna, for which she won another Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. Later she continued her career in action roles. In Osey Ramulamma (1997), she played a downtrodden woman who rose against her oppressors. Directed by Dasari Narayana Rao, this was the biggest blockbuster of the year, giving Vijaya Shanthi her fourth Nandi Award and sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu.[28] This film gave her another name, called as "Ramulamma/Ramulakka" by the people. The music of this film, composed by Vandemataram Srinivas, also won the Nandi Award. Later, she appeared in women oriented movies like Adavi Chukka and Rowdy Durbar, directed by Dasari Narayana Rao. Vijayashanthi has also worked for many commercials like Chandana Bros., and Power Detergent soap. She was the first actress to be first featured in a saree commercial. Comeback into films (2019–present) Vijaya Shanthi returned to cinema after a sabbatical of 13 years, starring in the 2020 film Sarileru Neekevvaru where Mahesh Babu played the main protagonist.[29] Her last seen movie is Nayudamma, released in 2006. Anil Ravipudi shared a welcome picture on Twitter on 12 August 2019 announcing her return to films with a makeup mirror placed in front of her. He wrote "After 13 years.. It's make up time for Vijayashanthi garu.. Nothing has ever changed in all these 13 years. Same discipline, same attitude and same dynamism. Welcome on-board".[30][31] She was paid four crores for her re-entry film Sarileru Neekevvaru. 2025 marks her second re-entry film Arjun Son of Vyjayanthi is scheduled to release on April 18, herself starring in a powerful cop role alongside Nandamuri Kalyan Ram. Political career (1998–present) In 1998, Vijaya Shanthi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was soon made the secretary of BJP's Women's Wing (Bharateeya Mahila Morcha).[32] In 1998, her first public meeting was held at Nellore, a big hit in support of BJP.[33] During the 1999 general election she was named BJP's contestant from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat against Sonia Gandhi of Congress(I). However, she withdrew from the race after Sonia Gandhi decided to contest from Bellary. In 1996, Vijaya Shanthi, who is pro-BJP, vowed her support to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and was a star campaigner for then Chief Jayalalithaa.[34] Vijayashanti is the star campaigner for BJP Lok Sabha Polls in Tamil Nadu along with Cricketer Srikkanth.[35] She started her own political party, Talli Telangana, in January 2005, which she merged into Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) due to lack of strength and support. From 1999, her movie appearances decreased as she focused on her political career. By 2004, she had stopped signing up for new films. In the 2009 general election, she won as a Member of Parliament from the Medak constituency from BRS.[36] In June 2009, she resigned from the post of secretary general of BRS, expressing solidarity with the resignation of Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao.[37] In 2011, she submitted her resignation as an MP along with Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao in agitation of Telangana movement. The resignation was later rejected by the speaker of the house, as it was not in the proper format. Later, she actively participated in politics for separate Telangana State (region), in which she played a key role. Vijaya Shanthi joined the Indian National Congress party in February 2014 after a split with TRS chief KCR.[38] She contested in the assembly elections from Medak in the 2014 general elections from Indian National Congress party and lost as MLA. After some inactive years, in 2018 AICC president Rahul Gandhi appointed Vijaya Shanthi as star campaigner and adviser to the election campaign committee of Telangana PCC.[39] Vijaya Shanthi in March 2019, started a controversy after she compared Narendra Modi to a terrorist and claimed he was "ruling like a dictator". She made these statements at a rally in Telangana's Shamshabad village in Ranga Reddy district.[40] Vijaya Shanthi said, "He is appearing like a terrorist. Instead of loving his people, he is scaring them. And said this is not a characteristic of a prime minister.[41] She resigned from the Congress in November 2020 and rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 6 December 2020 in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah.[42] In November 2023, she left BJP and rejoined Congress on 17 November 2023, in the presence of Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge.[43] She was unanimously Elected as Member of Telangana Legislative Council on 13 March 2025.[44][1] On April 7, 2025, Vijaya Shanti has taken oath as elected Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from Congress along with Addanki Dayakar and Shankar Nayak. Personal life Vijaya Shanthi is married to Moturi Venkata Srinivasa Prasad in 1988.[21] He does real estate business around Chennai and Hyderabad. He is a nephew to Daggubati Purandeswari. Member of Legislative Council, Telangana[1] Incumbent Assumed office 30 March 2025 Constituency Elected by MLAs Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha In office 2009–2014 Preceded by A. Narendra Succeeded by Kotha Prabhakar Reddy Constituency Medak Personal details Born Satti Vijaya Shanthi 24 June 1966 (age 60) Madras, Madras State, India Party Indian National Congress (2014–2020; 2023–present) Other political affiliations Talli Telangana Party (2005–2009) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (2009–2014) Bharatiya Janata Party (1998–2005; 2020–2023) Spouse Moturi Venkata Srinivasa Prasad ​ ​(m. 1988)​ Occupation Actress, film producer, politician