Poonam Sinha joins SP, to contest against Rajnath Singh from Lucknow

Poonam Sinha, wife of actor-politician Shatrugan Sinha on Tuesday joined the Samajwadi Party (SP), who is pitting her from Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow parliamentary constituency against Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The development comes after last week, Shatrughan Sinha joined the Congress after quitting the BJP, with whom he had an almost three-decade-long association.

Poonam was inducted into the party in the presence of SP leader and party chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav.

SP leader Ravidas Mehrotra told ANI that Poonam would contest from Lucknow parliamentary constituency against Rajnath Singh.

"Poonam Sinha ji will be the SP-BSP-RLD candidate from Lucknow. She will file her nomination on April 18 and we appeal to the Congress to not field their candidate from here so that BJP can be defeated," Mehrotra said.

Reacting to her induction into the SP fold, party chief Akhilesh Yadav said" "I would like to congratulate Poonam Sinha on joining Samajwadi party. Good thing is Dimple Yadav who herself is contesting in the election was present on her joining. This is the beauty of alliance. In the first phase the alliance is leading and like this only votes will keep coming."

BJP's Rajnath Singh had won from the Lucknow seat in the 2014 general elections.

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.

The alliance has left two seats, Rae Bareli and Amethi, for the Congress. Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh are being held in all seven phases. The second phase of elections is on April 18 and counting of votes for all phases will take place on May 23.