Lok Sabha Elections 2019: ‘Will stay in politics irrespective of result’: Poonam Sinha

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav named actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha’s wife Poonam Sinha as his party’s Lucknow candidate against union home minister Rajnath Singh, the sitting BJP MP. Pankaj Jaiswal spoke to Poonam Sinha on a day of hectic campaigning. Excerpts from the interview:

You once participated in a beauty contest (Miss Young India) and won. Now, you are in a contest of a different kind. What are the possibilities of victory here? How are the two contests different or similar?

Maybe the lucky streak is happening again--in continuity. Well, the beauty pageant is a very old story now. It was way back in the 1960s. This (election) is something very new. At this point in my life, I want to do something very constructive for the country.

You just said this is new to you, but you have also been saying that politics is not new to you.

I have been connected to politics, but not directly. Shatrughanji has been in politics for a long time. He had fought polls, got elected to Parliament, been a minister and is contesting again. But so far, my participation had been indirect. Now, it is direct participation as I am contesting.

Is Lucknow new or you have some connection with the city?

We do have a connection with Lucknow. During the Partition, a lot of people from Karachi and Hyderabad (Sindh) in Pakistan came to Lucknow, including our relatives. They first came here and then moved to Mumbai. Of course, we have a lot of relatives and friends here. So there is a little connection with Lucknow.

Did the Lucknow candidature happen all of a sudden?

No, it did not happen all of a sudden. It was in the offing. Talks were on since December. Akhileshji asked me to contest, it was a very nice and generous offer from him. We have known Akhilesh for very long. I thought it’s the right time for me to enter (politics).

Since when are you in Lucknow and for how long will you stay? What if you lose?

I will win. I will stay in politics and here, be it a victory or loss. I will work in politics. If Akhileshji thinks that I am worth some work and assigns me (a task), I will work. So far as the other people before me, people lose interest once they lose the plot. They tend to go back to their families, life. I will stay to work in politics. Three phases have gone. The picture is becoming clearer in favour of the gathbandhan. People ask me to roll down my car window to say, “We want you here because we want to get rid of Modi, Yogi.”

You have been assigned a seat where victory for you looks like an uphill task going by the constituency’s history? How do you see this?

People want a change. Wherever I go, I have seen people fed up with the BJP, Modi, Yogi. Akhileshji has done such phenomenal work here. Rajnath Singh might be a tall leader, and the BJP continued to win the seat, but at the same time, they did not do any tall (great) work unlike Akhileshji here. He has done wonders for the state and the city. People worship him. Look at the Metro, Janeshwar Mishra Park, and so many other projects.

Why Shatrughan Sinha and you, are not in the same party?

He had joined the Congress before I joined the SP. He was very clear that he has to contest from his Patna Sahib seat again, no matter what happens. The SP is not there.

You had campaigned for Shatrughan Sinha before? Will both of your campaign for each other now?

Now, it looks difficult. The dates are clashing, he is busy there. I am busy here. Kush (our son) is with me here, Lav (the twin sibling) is with him in Patna.

Your connection with films is over or will it continue?

The last film that I did was Jodha Akbar. I did the film because I thought it is a good film and would be very different for me to work. Working with Ashutosh Gowarikar was attractive. Now, no more films. I will stay focused on my work, politics.

Would your Bollywood star daughter Sonakshi Sinha campaign for you?

Hopefully. We are trying to work it out. She has started shooting for Dabangg 3 now.