Samajwadi Party fields former BJP leader's wife from Gorakhpur against CM Yogi Adityanath

The Samajwadi Party has fielded Subhavati Shukla, wife of former Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) vice president Upendra Dutt Shukla from Gorakhpur against Yogi Adityanath. Subhavati Shukla had joined the SP on Thursday along with her two sons in presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav. The Samajwadi Party in a tweet stated that Shukla was impressed by the policies of the SP and hence joined the Akhilesh Yadav-led party.

"Impressed by the policies of SP, family of former BJP state vice-president and former candidate in Lok Sabha by-election Gorakhpur joined the SP. Mrs. Shubhavati Shukla, Mr. Arvind Dutt Shukla, Mr. Amit Dutt Shukla, welcome and greetings everyone!"

Apart from Shukla, her two sons - Arvind Dutt Shukla and Amit Dutt Shukla also joined the Samajwadi Party. Arvind Dutt told ANI that the family was neglected by the BJP after their father's demise in 2020 due to cardiac arrest. In addition, the elder son has also claimed that the family was seeking to install his father's statue along with having a road named after him. He hailed the Samajwadi Party and stated that his mother has already been declared a candidate from Gorakhpur. 

"Our family was neglected after my father's death (by the BJP). It's been 20 months since my father left," he said

"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," he added 

Moreover, he has also claimed that his mother - Subhavati Shukla was disappointed with the BJP. Moreover, he has avered that regardless of the strength of Yogi Adityanath as a candidate, the family will send Subhavati Shukla to the Vidhan Sabha through which Upendra Dutt Shukla will be taken forward. 

"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," said Arvind Dutt

2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 

In the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, the BJP won an overwhelming majority of 325 seats in the 403-member House, This was seen as a mandate for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as BJP had not projected a chief ministerial candidate before the election. On the other hand, the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance failed to bear fruit as it managed to win in only 54 constituencies, whereas the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was limited to 19 seats.

As it currently stands, the BJP led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is seeking to retain power and the saffron party with its top leaders has commenced its campaign trail. On the other hand, Samajwadi Party chief and former CM Akhilesh Yadav is seeking to make a comeback in the state and has embarked on a statewide tour as a part of his "Samajwadi Vijay Yatra". Yadav has repeatedly claimed that his party will win 400 seats in the 2022 Assembly polls. Yadav has ruled out any alliance with Congress and BSP, but has announced a tie-up with Shivpal Yadav's PSP(L), Mahan Dal, OP Rajbhar's SBSP, RLD, and the Apna Dal faction of Krishna Patel.

On the other hand, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is leading the Congress campaign centred around the slogan 'Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon', signifying women empowerment. Even though BSP has been in power multiple times over the last three decades, its supremo Mayawati hasn't formally commenced her party's election campaign. Moreover, AIMIM is also seeking to emerge as a kingmaker in UP having made public its plan to contest 100 seats.