Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam Sinha joins Samajwadi Party, will contest from Lucknow

Poonam Sinha met SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav at their residence in Lucknow.

Image Courtesy: Twitter/@ANI

Lucknow: Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam Sinha joined the Samajwadi Party on Tuesday. The development was confirmed on Twitter by the Samajwadi Party. Poonam met SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav at their residence in Lucknow. 

आज लखनऊ में सांसद श्रीमती डिम्पल यादव जी की उपस्थिति में श्रीमती पूनम सिन्हा जी ने समाजवादी पार्टी की सदस्यता ग्रहण की। pic.twitter.com/AdjeuaYBc3

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) April 16, 2019

Poonam will be SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidate from Lucknow against BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. SP leader Ravidas Mehrotra confirmed her candidature from Luckow and said she will file her nomination on April 18, the last day of nomination for the fifth phase of polling. "We appeal to the Congress that do not field your candidate from here so that BJP can be defeated," he said.

Ravidas Mehrotra, SP: Poonam Sinha ji (wife of Shatrughan Sinha) will be the SP-BSP-RLD candidate from Lucknow. She will file nomination on April 18. We appeal to the Congress that do not field your candidate from here so that BJP can be defeated. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/Xp2y3M6Wz1 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 16, 2019

In Lucknow, there are four lakh Kayastha voters, 3.5 lakh Muslims voters and 1.3 lakh Sindhi voters. Since Poonam is a Sindhi and Shatrughan Sinha is a Kayastha, it is quite possible that these communities may extend their support to her.

The voting is scheduled to take place on May 6. Lucknow seat is regarded by many as a citadel of the BJP as the party has not lost from this seat since the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2014, Singh had won from this seat after defeating Congress candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Earlier this month, Shatrughan Sinha also joined Congress.