SAMAJWAD DOES NOT EXIST IN THE SAMAJWADI PARTY

INTERVIEW - APARNA YADAV BJP leader

- SONI MISHRA

Aparna Yadav revels in speaking her mind. The feisty 34-year-old has never been the demure choti bahu she would have been expected to be on account of being married to Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger son, Prateek.

Eyebrows were raised when Aparna recently joined the BJP in the run-up to the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Having contested and lost assembly elections in 2017, she had reportedly been left out in the cold in the SP, which is now headed by her brother-in-law, Akhilesh Yadav.

In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Aparna said she had informed Mulayam about her decision to join the BJP, and that he did not dissuade her. Since joining the BJP, she has not talked to Akhilesh and his wife, Dimple. Excerpts from the interview:

Q/ What made you join the BJP?

A/ I am a firm believer in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and his slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'. I am also deeply influenced by the good governance ushered in by our Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, which was earlier known more for lawlessness and lack of development.

Q/ How has the initial experience been?

A/ It is very hectic, since I am campaigning extensively. Of course, it is a big shift for me. But the party has been very welcoming and I have got so much respect.

Q/ As a daughter-in-law of the Yadav family, it must have been a difficult decision.