The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday fielded actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam Sinha as its Lok Sabha candidate from Lucknow, the constituency where the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The candidature was announced by SP president Akhilesh Yadav, a day after Poonam Sinha joined his party.
"After due deliberations with the party leaders, it has been decided that Poonam Sinha will be the party nominee from Lucknow seat," Yadav told reporters.
Poonam Sinha had joined the SP in the presence of party leader Dimple Yadav in Lucknow on Tuesday, the day when the sitting MP, Rajnath Singh filed his nomination papers.
"The Samajwadi Party will fight the election on the Lucknow seat only on the basis of the development works done by the SP and BSP governments ," Yadav said.
Reminding people of Lucknow of the work done in the past by his party, the SP chief appealed to them to vote for Sinha.
"It is said that the first MP from here had been a woman," he said.
Poonam Sinha's husband Shatrughan Sinha had recently quit the Bharatiya Janata Party and joined the Congress .
To a question, Yadav said, "The BJP has always tried to retire those who make their manifesto and deny him ticket."
Referring to BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, Yadav said the one who made the manifesto in 2014 for the saffron party has been denied ticket this time and the one who has made the manifesto this time will be denied ticket next time.
Rajnath Singh had led the BJP's 'sankalp patra' (manifesto) committee ahead of the Lok Sabha polls this time.
When asked to comment on the alleged derogatory comment made by senior party leader Azam Khan on Jaya prada, Yadav said this was a BJP conspiracy to divert the public's attention.
The respect given to mothers and daughters in our party is not less than what is extended by other parties, he said.
"There is no talk on the expressway, but one word was picked up from Azam Khan's speech and debated upon as this is election time," Yadav said.
Party MP Dimple Yadav, who was also present, said remarks of any kind on women were not right but questioned the silence over alleged adverse comments made by BJP supporters against BSP president Mayawati.
"Why was there no debate on what was said about me and Priyanka Gandhi. Why is only an adverse comment on BJP candidates raised," she asked.
