Amar Singh is very close to me: Jaya Prada

Says actor-politician Jaya Prada, stressing that she follows the instructions of Amar Singh and Mulayam. She says she has deep gratitude for them

Party old-timer Azam Khan has a problem with you representing the Rampur seat. He has also alleged the party might split because of you.
I am a mere party worker. I simply follow the instructions of Amar Singh and Mulayamji. I have deep gratitude for them. They have supported me from the time I entered politics. Without them, I couldn't have weathered the upheavals in my life. I am thankful to them.

In an interview to MiD DAY, Amar Singh's younger brother Arvind Singh said you share a 'special relation' with Amar Singh. Even Azam Khan made similar allegations.



I am happy they think this way. Amar Singh is very close to me and I have his blessings. Why are these two feeling bad about it? Let them come with us. We'll take them along.

Azam Khan alleged Rs 100 crore has been spent in Rampur alone by the Samajwadi Party. How true is it?
I would have been happy if he said I spent Rs 1,000 crore (laughing).

What difference have you brought to Rampur in the past five years?
Rampur has changed in the past five years. I gave special attention to education and healthcare. But it was different in 2004. Everything was in total disarray. But today I can proudly say I've been able to bring a radical change in my constituency. The literacy level was low, there were hardly any job opportunities for the youth, beedi workers and artisans were facing hard times. Today, things are much better.

Do you think you have been able to achieve what you set out for?
Five years is not enough. There is still a lot to be done, but for that I need money. The Mayawati-led government has not cooperated with us at all.u00a0 Mayawati has withdrawn all major projects from the constituency. Money meant for the development of the area has been held back. We tried to open sugar mills, but the state government objected. I even raised the issue in the Lok Sabha.

Why should people vote for you?
People are fed up after 40 years of Congress misrule. What has Begum Noor Bano (the Congressu00a0 candidate) done here? We've done more work in the past five years than they have in 40 years. Development has come to the region because of the Samajwadi Party. I am not a 'neta' for them. I am like their daughter.

Do you think it's your star appeal that attracts voters?
I can't deny the fact that my movie star status worked in my favour. But my star appeal worked only during the initial phase of my political life. Now people will vote me back for my work in my constituency and not because of my filmi background. People from all social strata come to my rallies. I have their blessings.

What do you have to say about Muslim leaders leaving your party?
You have to understand that during elections many people join and leave political parties. If a few leaders did leave us, then we also had many from the BSP and the Congress joining us. But it is wrong to say Muslim leaders are leaving the party.

Don't you think Muslim voters feel cheated after Kalyan Singh joined hands with Mulayam?
Let me make one thing very clear that Kalyan Singh has not joined the Samajwadi Party. He is simply supporting us from outside. Netaji (Mulayam) never went to him. It was Kalyan who came to him. However, Kalyan has changed. He has become secular. We will use Kalyan Singh as a weapon to finish the BJP.

Your party has given Kalyan Singh's son Rajveer Singh a ticket?
Kalyan Singh's son and my elder brother Azam Khan are seasoned politicians. They were ministers even before I joined politics. So the party felt he is a deserving candidate.

Your party is called a 'party of stars'.
I don't understand why people target the SP. The trend of giving tickets to stars was started both by the BJP and the Congress. Unlike others, it is the party's ideology that attracts celebrities.

The SP manifesto has been called regressive. Your comments.
We are not against English or computers. I have given so many computers to colleges and schools. Girl students have also benefited, but what about the villages? They don't even have the infrastructure to use computers. Not everyone in these villages can go to cities to learn computers and English. Therefore, basic infrastructure should be first put in place and only then should we look at other things.

You are mostly seen in sarees. How many sarees do you have for campaigning?
I think I have 60 sarees for campaigning. I always wear sarees in Rampur as I respect the local culture. I also wear salwar-suits at public functions. I wear jeans and T-shirts only in Mumbai. But I do miss them at times.

You've been looking really beautiful despite all the road shows and public rallies. Do you go to any beauty parlour in Rampur?
No, never.