UP elections: Yogi Adityanath welcomes Aparna Yadav in 'BJP family'; Akhilesh says 'socialist ideology expanding'

NEW DELHI: The political tussle between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh saw an interesting twist on Wednesday as Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the saffron party ahead of the assembly elections in the state.


Aparna Yadav is married to Prateek Yadav, the son of Mulayam's second wife, while Akhilesh Yadav is his son from the first marriage.

'Unsuccessful in family'

For the ruling BJP, which faced embarrassment last week as it lost three ministers and some MLAs to the Samajwadi Party, this was a sweet revenge.

Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was quick to attack Akhilesh Yadav over the development and said "he has not been successful in his family and was also "unsuccessful" as chief minister and MP."

"The Samajwadi Party is on the back foot," said Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath as he welcomed Aparna into the BJP family.

"She (Aparna Yadav) liked BJP's 'double engine work' and PM Modi's vision," he said.

Union minister Anurag Thakur also took a jibe at the Samajwadi Party and said the SP patriarch's daughter-in-law believes the BJP's rule is safe for women.

'Socialist ideology is expanding'
Akhilesh Yadav, for whom the development comes as a huge embarrassment, tried to put up a brave face with a cheeky response even as he congratulated Aparna and extended her his best wishes.

"I am also happy that our socialist ideology is expanding. I hope that our ideology will reach there and work to save the constitution and democracy," the SP president said.

"Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) tried very hard to convince her," he added.

'Confident I will do well from Lucknow Cantonment'
Aparna, who had contested the 2017 assembly elections from the Lucknow Cantonment seat and lost, says "I have done a lot of work in that area and I am confident that I will do well."

On the possibility of being fielded from the seat, she said "The final decision lies with my party, BJP, and whatever decision the core committee of the party takes will be acceptable to me."

Aparna heaped praise on PM Modi and said "The only way to save the nation is to go on the nationalism path and the BJP has been a nationalist party so I have a great appreciation for PM Modi and the BJP leadership."

"I have always been very vocal about the policies and ideologies of PM Modi and BJP. Nationalism is a very important aspect of my life. I've always thought of nation before anything," she added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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