Soon after Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that her joining the party is an example of women of Uttar Pradesh feeling safe in the BJP.
Earlier today, in a major setback to the Samajwadi Party ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Aparna Yadav joined the BJP.
Speaking to the reporters here, Thakur said, "In the past few days, many sitting MLCs, MLAs have left Samajwadi Party and joined the BJP. We welcome them. It would strengthen the BJP. Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav too joined the BJP today. This indicates how the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given protection to women."
Citing Aparna's joining as an example of women's safety in Uttar Pradesh, Thakur said that be it the daughter of former BJP Minister Swami Prasad Maurya who left the party recently and joined the Samajwadi Party, or the daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh, both of them feel safe in the BJP.
"Women can go out even at night today. They feel safe. Be it the daughter of Swami Prasad Maurya or the daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav, it is an example that both of them feel safe in the BJP because the women of Uttar Pradesh feel safe under the leadership of Yogi and Prime Minister Modi," he said.
Asked about SP not declaring the seat from where Akhilesh Yadav will be contesting the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP leader said that the party had to face opposition from the people including the workers in his party after it declared the first list of candidates, therefore he is not announcing the tickets openly.
"When the first list of candidates was released by the Samajwadi Party, it came to the attention of all whom they gave the tickets to fight the election. They had to face opposition within their own party, their allies and also the people on the ground. This is the reason why he is not able to announce the tickets openly," he said.
Earlier today, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that he will contest elections after taking permission from Azamgarh residents from where he is a current MP.
Elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. 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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