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.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin March 06, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin March 06, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
War Over Wounded Earth
For the BJP andthe Congress, the ravaged farmlands of Vidarbha represent a cxitieal battleground in their larger struggle to win Maharashtra
Say no to continual elections
Following the recommendations of a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind to streamline the widely scattered schedule of national, state and local elections, the Union cabinet has reportedly approved two constitutional amendment bills for likely introduction in Parliament. Predictably, the return of the ‘one nation, one election’ issue to news has set off a flurry of objections by several opposition leaders.
Fabulously, fashionably funny
The third season of the Karan Johar-produced Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives dropped on Netflix, but articles criticising the show appear in some news site or the other almost daily. If it is so bad, why keep writing about it? And if it is so bad, why would the superpowers at Netflix, who are harder to meet than the prime minister, commission the show season after season?
All in the family
The Chitaras have been passing down the secret art of Mata Ni Pachedi through generations for more than 400 years now
Raise a toast to Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is a New Year baby. At 45, she is aglow in the most beautiful way, having won the hearts and admiration of countless fans across the world, who watched the supremely talented actor take a public tumble on stage at a high-profile promotional event recently, sharing the platform with no less a dancer than the eternally graceful Madhuri Dixit.
Death no bar
Being alive is not a legal requirement to be elected president of the United States
The Lotus POTUS
You should visit us one of these days— there is so much excitement in our USA! No, I don’t mean the famous USA—the Ulhasnagar Sindhi Association of Mumbai.
RAY OF HOPE
Actor and cancer survivor Lisa Ray talks to oncologist Dr Jame Abraham about inner strength and her surrogacy journey
LEVERAGE AI TO ENHANCE WORK
AT THE WEEK Health Summit, Siddharth Bagga, head (retail, CPG and health care), Google Cloud, elaborated on the significant work that Google has been doing in health care through artificial intelligence (AI).
PRESSURE POINTS
Author and MP Shashi Tharoor and motivational speaker Gaur Gopal Das on how to find healing and meaning in today's world
