Aparna Yadav, the 26-year-old daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav, is making her political debut by contesting against BJP’s Rita Bahuguna Joshi, from the Lucknow Cantontment seat. Excerpts from her interview:
Q: You are contesting against Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who has a political experience of over 24 years. Lucknow Cantonment also happens to be the seat from where the SP has never won before. What do you have to say on that?
A: Rita Bahuguna does have a great political experience, but she doesn’t have a good political record. She had lost eight elections before she decided to contest this one. She is neither committed to the party she worked for 24 years, after which she switched to the BJP, nor is she decided on her political philosophies and ideologies. What can you expect of a woman who, at her age, doesn’t know what she wants?
Q: What is your strategy to convince voters to support your electoral debut?
A: I want to help establish equality in society and that is why I have always pushed for 33% reservation for women in political space. I stand by women’s rights and am a feminist by heart. I am a people’s person and always ready to serve them to the best of my capabilities.
Q: Do you think that being a “young” face in politics, and your active stance on equality will help you get votes?
A: I have worked really hard for my constituency even without being a candidate officially. I worked to get made 257 roads, 57 pumps, 8 tube wells, and 70 drains in my constituency. Apart from that, I have helped get the ration cards of over 1,500 people made and helped 2,500 get their pension under the Samajwadi Pension Scheme. I want to create more women police stations and women forces to create a no-crime zone and promote friendly policing.
Q: There were reports that your brother-in-law Akhilesh Yadav had reservations about your joining politics. What do you say on that?
A: All of that is utter rubbish. There is absolutely nothing like what people call a “family feud” in the Yadav family. Akhilesh Bhaiyya is even campaigning for me, and so is Dimple Bhabhi. I have the complete support of my family. People and the media have talked a lot behind our backs, but we have forgotten and forgiven all of that.