Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha’s wife, Poonam Sinha filed her nomination as a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Lucknow on Thursday, against Union Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh.
"I am confident of my victory. My party has done a lot of work here and I have the blessings of the people of Lucknow," she told the reporters.
After she filed her nomination papers, Sinha held a road show, in which hundreds of SP workers took part in sloganeering against the BJP government at the Centre and in the state.
Poonam Sinha joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife, Dimple Yadav.
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Considered a BJP stronghold, the party has not lost a single election in Lucknow since 1991. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee represented the constituency from 1991 to 2004. After Vajpayee retired from active politics, BJP's Lalji Tandon won the high profile seat in 2009.
Rajnath Singh retained Lucknow for the party in 2014, by defeating Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi with a huge margin. Joshi later switched sides ahead of the Assembly elections in the state and joined the BJP.
SP, BSP, and RLD are contesting Lok Sabha polls in alliance in Uttar Pradesh, in which the SP will contest on 37 seats, BSP on 38 and RLD on three.
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Lucknow goes to the polls on May 6, in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
The seven-phase Lok Sabha is scheduled from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.
(With inputs from agencies)
