Jaya Prada will be too hot for Muffler Man Kejriwal

Forget friends, they say there are no permanent foes in politics. What comes as a huge surprise for an old-time Bollywood buff like me is how Jaya Prada has unflinchingly changed so many political parties in her career. Having kick-started her acting stint in Telugu films, doing the rounds of south cinema and then shifting to Bollywood, Jaya Prada was always an evergreen hit.

When her acting career dwindled, the diminutive woman from Andhra Pradesh (when it was undivided) joined the Telugu Desam Party where she again rose up to become a superstar. People in Andhra Pradesh would say she owed her clout to Chandrababu Naidu, then chief minister of the state.

As time passed, Prada hitched on to the Samajwadi Party bandwagon and was seen hanging around the likes of politician Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav, making a foray into North Indian politics.

Cut to the Delhi elections, due for February 7, Jaya Prada's name is being touted as a possible candidate against AAP's Arvind Kejriwal. Call this a master stroke or a filmi stunt, I am sure Kejriwal will shudder at the prospect of taking on a lady who has contested polls from the south to Uttar Pradesh.

I must confess I am not a political commentator. For someone who has followed Jaya Prada's career, this seems like a BJP masterstroke.

Many times, national elections have seen former film stars step in and make a huge impact. From Hema Malini to Shatrugan Sinha to Dharmender, all have been part of the BJP poll campaigns.

Despite freezing temperatures in the capital, the poll temperature is rising. Perhaps, the arrival of Jaya Prada will provide the much needed glam quotient in the Delhi political arena. And as for the voters who have to make a choice between Kejriwal and Jaya Prada, time (February 10 to be precise) will tell if the AAP supremo can win or the charm of Jaya Prada prevails. Her entry will indeed make the Muffler Man sweat.