The Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh has fielded Pooja Shukla, who came to the limelight in 2017 for waving a black flag at chief minister Yogi Adityanath, from Lucknow North.

She is among the youngest members contesting the assembly poll in the state. She reportedly protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

She has said that though she lacks the resources to fight the BJP candidate, she will find the support from the people, especially the youth.

Shukla has said that she was inspired by the "political struggle of Mulayam Singh Yadav and policies of Akhilesh Yadav." She has reportedly said that the BJP has passed "laws which are undemocratic" — such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the farm laws.

This report mentions: "Pooja had begun campaigning even before she was officially named a candidate on Tuesday".

She has been reported by the PTI as saying that in June 2017, the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, which is Samajwadi Party's students' wing, was one of the organisations along with the All India Students Association (AISA) and Students Federation of India (SFI) that sat on a road to block the convoy of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

He was on his way to Lucknow University to participate in the Hindi Swaraj Diwas celebrations. The Lucknow University had "denied her admission" in 2018 for protesting against the CM, the report mentions.

She went on a hunger strike and the University had to grant her admission along with the other students.

Shukla added that she was sent to jail despite using "democratic means" to protest. She then met Mulayam Singh Yadav and became the face of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha.

She has said that as a student active in politics, she finds the Samajwadi Party "closer to democratic values''.

This report mentions that Samajwadi Party leader and former MLA Abhishek Mishra lost the chance to get a ticket as the ticket has now gone to Pooja Shukla.

"सपा मुखिया ने अपने चहेतों के टिकट भी काट दिए हैं। इसमें सबसे प्रमुख नाम है अभिषेक मिश्र का। पूर्व विधायक मिश्र का टिकट काटकर समाजवादी पार्टी ने युवा नेता पूजा शुक्ला पर दांव लगाया है।"

Shukla has said that she will fight for the rights of the youth. She is the former vice-president of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha. She will be fighting against BJP MLA Neeraj Bora.

Pooja Shukla

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