New Delhi: After days of speculation, Poonam Sinha, the wife of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, finally forayed into politics. On Tuesday, Poonam joined Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party in Lucknow and soon, it was announced by the party that she will be Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal (SP-BSP-RLD) alliance candidate from Lucknow, which votes on May 6 during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha election 2019.
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
The mahagathbandhan (alliance) is fielding Poonam against BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh from the prestigious Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency. Poonam will file her nomination on April 18.
Statistics reveal that in Lucknow, from where BJP stalwart and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also fought the election, has 4 lakh Kayastha voters, 3.5 lakh Muslims voters and 1.3 lakh Sindhi voters. Chances are high that Poonam, a Sindhi, married to Shatrughan Sinha, a Kayastha, might get the support of a large chunk of voters.
Poonam Sinha, 69, is a former model, beauty queen and an actress. However, after her wedding to Shatrughan in 1980, she left her acting career to raise their three children - Luv, Kush and Sonakshi, also an actress.
Her screen name was Komal in her early career and she starred in films like Jigri Dost, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Aag Aur Daag, Dil Diwana and Dream Girl. In 2008, after a gap of 30 years, she returned to films and starred in Jodhaa Akbar.
Poonam is debuting into politics at a time when Shatrughan, a two-time union minister, left BJP to join Congress.
SP has also appealed to the Congress not to field any candidate from Lucknow to ensure BJP's defeat from Lucknow.
