Poonam Sinha, wife of actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) last week and will be taking on Union minister Rajnath Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Lucknow. In an interview to Hindustan Times, she talks about why she has taken the political plunge and the unusual dynamics in the Sinha household. Edited excerpts:

What drew you to the Samajwadi Party?

The first thing that attracted me is the legacy of good work done by our party leader, Akhilesh Yadav. He has proved himself politically and done a lot of work during his tenure [as Uttar Pradesh chief minister]. Whether it is his work for women or development work like new metros, gardens or water parks, the public remembers him as someone who has delivered.

In your first election, you are contesting against one of the BJP’s tallest leaders, Rajnath Singh...

Maybe, I will be an exception to the rule. No state belongs to a particular party nor does a seat belong to a politician. Let the people decide about the situation the country is facing. Look around, and all we hear is that people are looking for a change. I’m confident the good work of the Samajwadi Party will help me win.

I have campaigned in parts of Uttar Pradesh and the feeling on the street is one of resonance with Akhilesh’s work. People have come up to me and said, ‘You don’t have to worry, we will vote for you’. People say they will vote for him [Akhilesh] back to power because of all the development during his term. This has assured me a lot.

Also Read | SP’s Poonam Sinha files nomination papers from Lucknow

How did it feel to have your husband, who is in the Congress, standing by you when you filed your nomination?

He did not campaign for me but he stood by me when I was filing my nomination. I think it was nice of him, in light of the big step I am taking. His standing next to me gave me a lot of confidence, which I needed at that moment.

Many actors have joined politics this year, like Sunny Deol and Urmila Matondkar. How is your poll pitch different from theirs?

The thing to remember is I have been around my husband, who has been in politics for about 39 years. I was in the film industry, prior to other actors in the fray this time. I’m not new to politics; ours has been a political family all along. And hopefully, I will get the chance to do some good work.

First Published: Apr 26, 2019 10:32 IST