Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha on Friday held a road show for her mother Poonam Sinha who is contesting the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat as a Samajwadi Party candidate. Sonakshi was accompanied by her brother Kushh Sinha as they campaigned for their mother. Poonam Sinha was also present along with SP MP Dimple Yadav

Poonam Sinha's road show moved through three Assembly constituencies covered a distance of about 6 km. A huge turnout was seen, apparently to see Sonakshi who waved to the crowds

Poonam Sinha's road show that moved at a snail's pace covered the old parts of the city that is populated mainly by Muslims. Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha did not join the road show

Sonakshi Sinha wore a simple yet classy dress while her mother and SP candidate Poonam Sinha wore a blue sari. The mother-daughter duo waved at the crowd as they proceeded through their roadshow

Poonam Sinha looked radiant and fresh as she sets out for campaigning. There were no signs of stress or worries about tomorrow's schedule. She was upbeat with the response of the people of Lucknow and recalls her connect with the City of Nawabs

Talking about her choice of Samajwadi Party and that too, after her husband Shatrughan Sinha joined the Congress, Poonam Sinha said "I have been talking to Akhilesh Yadav since last year. I was impressed with his youthful energy, his vision and his determination to do something for the people."

Poonam Sinha says that the Yadav family has been taking care of her. "They have given me an excellent team that programmes and guides my campaign. Akhilesh asked his wife Dimple to accompany me for nomination even though he was filing his own nomination in Azamgarh on the same day. Which other party will treat you like their own family member?" she asked

Poonam Sinha denies being unnerved about contesting against Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and says, "There are always exceptions to the rule. No seat or state belongs to one particular party and the people have the right to choose if they want a change. I have never spoken a word against Rajnathji. I will not get into negative campaigning. I am talking only about myself and my party."

In an earlier interview, reacting to the controversy over Shatrughan Sinha, a Congress member, campaigning for her when she filed her nomination papers, Poonam Sinha says, "He did not campaign — he simply accompanied me when I went to file my nomination papers and that is something that a husband is allowed to do. He is a senior politician and has spent almost three decades in serious politics. He knows what he is doing." 

Poonam Sinha says that she got interested in politics about a decade ago but waited for her children to grow up and get settled. But why did she not join BJP? "Earlier, the BJP was led by people with a heart. It is not the same anymore. They do not talk and do not want to listen. I would have been uncomfortable there," Poonam Sinha says

Poonam Sinha feels that the BJP has burnt itself out. "People tell me that the Yogi Adityanath government has undone everything good that the Samajwadi Party had achieved in its five-year term between 2012 and 2017. Voters tell me they want the good old days of the SP back in Lucknow and in Uttar Pradesh," she says

For Sonakshi Sinha, after "Kalank", she has a lot to look forward to. She will be seen playing an astrophysicist in "Mission Mangal", a small town girl in Mrigdeep Lamba's untitled comedy, an outspoken social worker in "Bhuj: The Pride of India" and reprising her role of Rajjo in "Dabangg 3"