New Delhi, January 19: A major setback to the Samajwadi Party ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Aparna Yadav, daughter-in-law of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday.
According to the sources, Aparna Yadav has sought a ticket from the Lucknow Cantt assembly seat.
Aparna is the wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger son Pratik. In 2011, Aparna Yadav married Pratik Yadav.
In 2017 assembly elections, she had contested from Lucknow Cantt but was defeated by BJP’s Rita Bahuguna Joshi. She had secured nearly 63,000 votes.
Notably, she also runs and organisation named ‘bAware’ for the welfare of women. She also runs a shelter for cows in Lucknow.
In the past, she has praised BJP’s initiatives in the state and had also donated Rs 11 lakh for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Elections to the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.