HYDERABAD: Film star Vijayashanti has said that the Talli Telangana Party led by her would contest the 2009 general elections but she would not be in the fray.

Answering questions at a news conference here on Sunday, she said contesting elections was very much on the agenda of Talli Telangana Party. "Except me, others are welcome to contest," she remarked.

Ms. Vijayashanti added that the party would be formally launched after she undertook a tour of Telangana districts shortly. The action plan and structure of the party would be announced at the time of the launch. In the run-up to the inception of the party, she said the membership would open on February 9. She would enrol herself as a member from the city.

To meet YSR

The film star proposed to meet Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday evening with demand to assist fluoride victims of Nalgonda district. She would seek the revival of the ward exclusively for them at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) here.

Initially, she was reluctant to comment on the controversy that sparked off following a spat between stars, Mohan Babu and Chiranjeevi, at the recent 75th anniversary celebrations of the Telugu film industry. But later, she described it as an unfortunate incident, triggered by the failure of organisers. The flare-up was needless, she said.

Asked why she was not invited to the function, Ms. Vijayashanti said she had herself stayed away as she was not convinced about the contribution of the industry to the people of Telangana who had patronised it for decades.

She had raised this question with leaders of the industry last year but there was no response. Therefore, she did not go in protest.

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