Hyderabad, Nov 17: Ahead of the Telangana assembly polls, Former MP and veteran actor Vijayashanthi who resigned from the BJP, rejoined the Congress party on Friday in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, party sources said.

Kharge offered her a tricolour scarf and formally invited her to join the party.

The former BRS MP who left the Congress and joined the saffron party in 2020 was not active in BJP’s programmes in the recent times.

The actor-turned-politician began her political career in 2009 and was elected from Medak Lok Sabha seat on BRS (then TRS) ticket.

Later, due to differences with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, she joined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested from the same constituency.

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New Delhi, Nov 14: India has successfully completed the flight-tests of guided Pinaka weapon system as part of a set of validation trials.

During these tests, the Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) parameters, viz., ranging, accuracy, consistency and rate of fire for multiple target engagement in a salvo mode have been assessed by extensive testing of rockets, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

"Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the flight-tests of Guided Pinaka Weapon System as part of Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) validation trials," it said.

The flight-tests have been conducted in three phases at different field firing ranges.

"Twelve rockets from each production agency from two in-service Pinaka launchers upgraded by the launcher production agencies have been tested," the statement said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented the DRDO and the Indian Army for the successful PSQR validation trials of the system and stated that the induction of this Guided Pinaka Weapon System will further boost the artillery fire power of the Armed Forces, it said.

The precision strike variant for Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System is a totally indigenous weapon system designed and developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and Proof & Experimental Establishment with Munitions India Limited and Economic Explosives Limited as production agencies for ammunition and Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Larsen & Toubro for Pinaka launcher and Battery Command Post.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, Samir V Kamat, also congratulated the teams associated with the trials and said the rocket system has "completed all pre-requisite flight trials before induction into the Indian Army".