How Akhilesh and Dimple Yadav’s daughter Aditi is grabbing attention in Lok Sabha polls – Firstpost

The Yadav family of the Samajwadi Party (SP) has a new campaigner for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Akhilesh Yadav’s daughter Aditi visited the venue to seek votes for her mother Dimple Yadav and other candidates.

Dimple Yadav, sitting MP from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, is once again in the fray from her seat, the bastion of her late father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Aditi, 21, is the third generation of the late SP patriarch’s family to enter the political arena. The comparisons with his grandfather are not left out.

Let’s see how Aditi Yadav grabbed attention during the general elections.

Who is Aditi Yadav?

The daughter of Dimple and Akhilesh Yadav studied at La Martiniere College in Lucknow, scoring 98% marks in her Class 12 exams in 2020, according to The imprint report.

Currently, she studies politics and international relations at University College London (UCL).

Aditi loves badminton and horse riding, her relatives said The imprint.

Aditi Yadav campaigns for her mother

Aditi, who is called “ghar ki bitiya‘ in Mainpuri, was first seen on the campaign trail with her mother on March 20, according to The imprint.

She addressed small gatherings or Nukkad Sabhas for almost a month in the SP’s safe Mainpuri seat, won by Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1996, 2009, 2014 and 2019.

The seat fell vacant after the death of the SP patriarch in 2022, necessitating a bypoll. Dimple won the by-election, defeating Raghuraj Singh Shakya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 2,88,461 votes.

Dimple Yadav is seeking re-election from Mainpuri, where she will face BJP’s Jaiveer Singh Thakur and Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Shiv Prasad Yadav.

Mainpuri will vote on May 7 in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls.

This time, Dimple’s eldest daughter braves the hot weather of Uttar Pradesh, connecting with the locals to help her hold on to the family stronghold.

Aditi Yadav, who is on summer vacation, is now going door to door to convince people to vote for her mother.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav’s daughter Aditi is campaigning for the party in Mainpuri villages. pic.twitter.com/QuGrOU0l0t

-ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2024

According to The imprint report, she leaves for election campaign at noon from her Saifai residence and returns at dusk.

She greets the elders with folded hands and greets the youth and children. Aditi is welcomed with garlands and bouquets, and sometimes a ‘pagdi“(turban) is on his head, reported Times of India (TOI).

In the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency which covers five assembly segments, Aditi’s election campaign focused on the SP strongholds of Karhal and Kishni, according to The imprint report.

She holds nukkad sabhas and deliver speeches to develop an emotional connection with his audience, the report added.

During her speech in Kishni on April 30, Aditi reportedly said, “Mainpuri is my home and you all are my family. Everywhere I go, I receive love like a girl. Thank you people for belonging.

In her speeches, she also addresses political issues, promising that the PS government would empower women, create job opportunities for youth and provide “good education” for children.

VIDEO | Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s daughter Aditi is contesting a political campaign in UP Saifai. Here’s what she said at a public meeting.

“Our party has always worked in favor of women, young people and farmers. We will form a government that… pic.twitter.com/iy55Nx4B65

– Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2024

Aditi’s approach has garnered a good response among the local population.

“Mainpuri is Netaji‘own seat and for us, Aditi is’ghar ki bitiya“(own daughter), people will definitely vote for Dimple Yadav and make her win with a record margin of four lakh votes,” said a local. News18.

Aditi’s engagement with the people of Mainpuri, a predominantly rural constituency, also inspired SP youth workers.

Talk to The imprint, Piyush Yadav, a youth worker of the party, said, “She campaigns continuously for six to seven hours in this scorching heat. There is clarity in his voice and his thinking. Nothing would have changed if she hadn’t come, but the public appreciates her. She doesn’t need recognition, but now she’s also making a name for herself.

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Comparisons with Netaji

Aditi and her grassroots approach reminds people of her grandfather Mulayam Singh Yadav, fondly known as Netaji.

“This is the first time people are seeing Aditi, who resembles her father Akhilesh so closely. The way Aditi meets people, listens to them, hugs them and interacts with them, reminds us Dharti Putra Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav), who was known for his simplicity and down-to-earth approach,” said Badrinath Yadav, a resident of Fatehganj town in Mainpuri. News18.

Proponents use phrases such as “phool si beti (flower-like girl)” and “Netaji ki poti » for her, reported The imprint.

Besides Mainpuri, Aditi was also seen canvassing in Etawah last week for SP candidate Jitendra Dohare. Etawah will go to the polls on May 13 in the fourth phase of voting.

#WATCH | Etawah, Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav’s daughter Aditi is campaigning for the party in Saifai area. #LokSabhaElections pic.twitter.com/b13VF6oMu0

-ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2024

Will Aditi Yadav take the political plunge?

Aditi’s surprise entry into the election campaign has raised questions about her plans. However, the SP is keeping his cards close to his chest when it comes to speculation about NetajiGranddaughter enters politics.

“Aditi is not only campaigning for me but in a way she is also exploring her roots. She meets people, visits their homes and spends time with them,” Dimple Yadav said in a statement, according to News18.

Regarding her daughter’s plans, Dimple said she is free to take her own decision. “I have always supported my children and it is up to her to decide whether she wants a career in politics or something else,” she added.

The BJP’s charge to parivarwaad

The BJP is trying to corner the Akhilesh Yadav-led party with its parivarwaad (dynastic) mockery. Aditi’s canvassing did not go unnoticed either.

Nidhi Yadav, a trusted aide of Akhilesh Yadav, told a rally that the BJP was sending senior party leaders to campaign in Mainpuri because of their “apprehension” of Dimple’s daughter, The imprint reported.

Bigwigs like Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took out rallies in the constituency.

Taking a photo, Shah, at a rally in Kishni, had said that the SP claimed to be a sympathizer of the Yadavs but showed the family only during elections. He said the time had come “to end the family celebration and let the lotus bloom.” The imprint reported.

For the first time, five members of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s clan are contesting the Lok Sabha elections. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav is contesting from Kannauj, Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri, Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh, Aditya Yadav from Badaun and Akshay Yadav from Firozabad.

With the contribution of agencies