Digital Desk: In a major setback for the Samajwadi Party ahead of the elections, Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav joined BJP on Wednesday, in a move seen as tit-for-tat after several saffron party defectors allied with Akhilesh Yadav.
Like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Aparna Yadav is also from a Thakur-Bisht family. She is married to Mulayam and Sadhna Gupta's son Prateek.
Aparna Yadav is the daughter of former journalist Arvind Singh Bisht, who later became the Information Commissioner of Uttarakhand. She graduated from Manchester University in the United Kingdom with a master's degree in International Relations and Politics.
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Despite never holding a leadership role in the SP, she ran for the assembly on the party's ticket in 2017 and lost to Rita Bahuguna Joshi from Lucknow Cantt. Joshi, who is now an MP, is seeking a BJP ticket for her son from this seat.
Aparna Yadav is the founder of bAware, a women's rights organisation that also manages a cow refuge in Lucknow.
She had already made headlines by complimenting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'development measures.' She also contributed Rs 11 lakh to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The Samajwadi Party was taken aback by Aparna Yadav's choice, especially since the family dispute between Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav had settled.
She was promised a legislative council position after the elections, according to CNN-News18 sources, but the deal appears to have fallen through.
Aparna Yadav joined BJP at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, according to BJP leader Arun Yadav, who is also the state incharge of the Haryana BJP.
Akhilesh Yadav had dismissed the report before, calling it an internal matter and assuring the family that everything was well.
UP votes in seven phases between February 10 and March 7; results will be out on March 10.
