Aparna Yadav, who is married to Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger son Prateek Yadav, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, ANI reported.
She was inducted into the BJP at the party’s headquarters in Delhi in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and the state unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh.
Aparna Yadav said she was thankful to the BJP, ANI reported. “The nation always comes first for me,” she said, according to ANI. “I admire PM Modi’s work.”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that Mulayam Singh Yadav had tried to dissuade Aparna Yadav from leaving the party.
“Tickets are dependent on our internal surveys, on a lot of things,” he said. “I want to thank the BJP that they are giving tickets to those who even we are unable to give tickets to. I hope she carries our ideology to the BJP.”
Aparna Yadav joining the BJP came close on heels of several saffron party leaders, including three state Cabinet ministers, defecting to the Samajwadi Party last week.
The crucial 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly will go to polls in seven phases starting from February 10. The results will be announced on March 10.
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