Hyderabad, Aug 18 (IANS): Veteran actress and BJP national executive member M. Vijayashanti on Thursday expressed unhappiness with the party's Telangana unit leadership.

The former MP alleged that the party leadership wants him to remain silent. The actress, however, remarked that she always likes playing key roles.

Vijayashanti voiced unhappiness while talking to reporters after a programme at the party's state office where senior leader and MP K. Laxman offered tributes to freedom fighter Sardar Papanna Goud on his birth anniversary.

She said she wanted to speak at the programme. She said Laxman came, spoke and left and she could not understand what was happening.

Vijayashanti also remarked that party's state chief Bandi Sanjay and Laxman should know how to use her services for the party. "I can do something when the party gives me the responsibility. Without giving any responsibility, how can they expect me to do something," she asked.

"Ask the party leaders" she quipped when asked why she was denied an opportunity to speak.

Vijayashanti also remarked that she always plays a key role. "I always play the top role. Ramulamma is always Ramulamma," she said referring to her movie with the title Ramulamma.

It was in December 2020 that Vijayahanti returned to BJP after 15 years.

Popular as 'Lady Amitabh' for her action roles in Telugu films, Vijayashanti had joined the BJP in 1997 and served as general secretary of the party's women's wing.

She quit the BJP in 2005 to float a separate outfit, Talli Telangana, to fight for separate statehood for Telangana.

She later merged Talli Telangana with TRS and was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Medak constituency in 2009.

In August 2013, a few months before the formation of Telangana state, TRS suspended Vijayashanti for anti-party activities.

She later joined the Congress party and unsuccessfully contested from the Medak Assembly constituency in the 2014 polls.

After lying low for four years, Vijayashanti again became active in Congress in 2017 and was named its star campaigner for the party in 2018 Assembly polls. After the party's debacle, she was not active in the party and returned to BJP in 2020.

Vijayashanti, whose film career spans nearly four decades, has acted in over 180 films in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.

Her movie appearances had become rare from 1999 after she started focussing on politics.

After a sabbatical of 13 years, she returned to silver screen in 2020 with 'Sarileru Neekevvaru', which stars popular actor Mahesh Babu in the lead.