Lucknow: Aparna Yadav, the daughter-in-law of Uttar Pradesh’s dominant political family – who shocked everyone by joining the BJP, on Tuesday finally put an end to all the rumours alleging that her switch was due to the denial of a Samajwadi party ticket to her.
“People are telling me that I have come to BJP for ticket… My ticket was not being denied in the Samajwadi Party. I have come to the BJP for nationalism,” she told in a media interview.
“I was influenced by the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi-ji (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath),” further said the wife of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger son, Prateek Yadav.
After her big switch to BJP, Aparna’s brother in law Akhilesh Yadav – the biggest contender of the BJP in the state – had quipped, “I want to thank the BJP that they are giving tickets to those who even we are unable to give tickets to”.
Later, upon being asked if she quit over the denial of the SP ticket, Mr Yadav had said, “All the tickets have not yet been distributed. Who has to be given a ticket depends on the region and people as well as the internal survey report of the party”.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old politician has been in the news earlier for praising PM Modi’s development initiatives. Her photo with Yogi Adityanath at a cow shelter made it to the front page headlines of major newspapers.
“I did not come to BJP to contest elections. I will campaign for BJP throughout the election,” added Ms Yadav.
In 2017, Aparna Yadav had contested Uttar Pradesh poll as a Samajwadi Party candidate but had lost to Rita Bahuguna, who had switched to the BJP from the Congress. She had lost by nearly 34,000 votes.
Aparna Yadav is seen as a big acquisition for the BJP ahead of the state polls beginning on February 10.
