Betrayal by Samajwadi Party leaders, not faulty EVMs led to my defeat: Aparna Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav has now blamed party leaders for her defeat in the 2017 assembly elections.

Apparently taking a dig at her brother-in-law Akhilesh Yadav – who is currently the national president of Samajwadi Party - Aparna Yadav said, ''I lost elections due to back-biting by my own party leaders.''

If there were faults in the EVM voting machines, then the poll panel would have cancelled the elections, but I lost due to few people who are very close to me, she said.

''Top leaders from my party did not actively campaign for me during the elections in Lucknow Cantt,'' she added.  

SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's 'chhoti bahu' made these remarks while speaking in a function in Lucknow Cantt area.

Aparna Yadav, who is married to Mulayam's second son Prateek, was badly trounced by BJP heavyweight Rita Bahuguna Joshi from the Lucknow Cantt seat in the recently concluded assembly elections.

Despite an emotional appeal by SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav to voters in the Lucknow Cantt, Aparna Yadav was defeated by a margin over 38000 votes.

Prior to Aparna, Mulayam's younger brother Shivpal too had blamed Akhilesh and his close associates for the Samajwadi Party's rout in UP Assembly elections.