Subhavati Shukla, wife of former Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice president Upendra Dutt Shukla, joined the Samajwadi Party on Thursday and is slated to be fielded against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur Sadar.
Subhavati Shukla joined Samajwadi Party today with her two sons here in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
"Impressed by the policies of SP, the family of former BJP state vice-president and former candidate in Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-election, late Upendra Dutt Shukla, joined the Samajwadi Party. Welcome, and greetings," the Samajwadi Party said in a tweet.
Apart from Subhavati Shukla, her sons Arvind Dutt Shukla and Amit Dutt Shukla also joined the Samajwadi Party.
Arvind Dutt, the elder son of Subhavati Shukla, toldthat the family felt neglected after their father's demise in 2020.
"Our family was neglected after my father's death (by the BJP). It's been 20 months since my father left," he said.
He said that the family wanted his father's statue to be installed and a road named after him " but BJP neglected their requests".
He said Samajwadi Party has already declared his mother a candidate from Gorakhpur.
"This is the reason that we have joined Samajwadi Party today and my mother is going to contest elections from Gorakhpur Sadar constituency against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls. Akhilesh Yadav recognized the political experience of my father and gave us a ticket from his party," Arvind Dutt said.
He said his mother is disappointed with the behaviour of the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh.
"My mother is unhappy about BJP's behaviour so she made up her mind to contest on a ticket from Samajwadi Party. It does not matter how strong candidate Yogi Adiyanath, we will send our mother to vidhan sabha through which our father's name will also reach there."
Upendra Dutt Shukla died in May 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Shukla had contested by-elections from the Gorakhpur constituency in 2018 as a BJP candidate but did not win.
The Samajwadi Party apparently wants to field a Brahmin candidate against the Chief Minister. Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who belongs to Dalit community, has also decided to contest against the chief minister.
The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
( With inputs from ANI )
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