From the reluctant politician to star campaigner: Charting Dimple Yadav's poll journey

Lucknow: The reticent and soft-spoken 'bahu' of the first family of the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Dimple Yadav, has finally found her groove, emerging as a major crowd puller in election rallies all over the state.

From the fumbling leader who repeatedly corrected herself while going through her written text in Parliament on Kaushal Vikas mission some months ago, the 39-year-old Kannauj MP has come a long way to utilise manpower properly.

The new Dimple - the star campaigner - has learnt how to keep the audience especially the youth involved and impress them.

Aptly donning the role of the 'bahu' and 'bhabhi', she has gone about endearingly reprimanding the young enthusiasts with warnings that she will complain about them to their 'bhaiya' (Akhilesh Yadav) and at the same time taking care of the elders among the electorate seeking 'muhdekhaiye' (gift) for her in terms of votes.

When party workers went berserk in Allahabad, she said, "I will tell bhaiya (Akhilesh) that you did not let me speak. I will complain...bhaiya is coming here tomorrow."

Addressing another election rally in Jaunpur, she won over the elders and young alike when she started her speech seeking 'muhdikhai' -- a ritual where family members give a gift to a bride when they see her face for the first time.

"...Main pehli baar poorvanchal aayee hoon...mujhe muh dikhai milegi...poora vishwas hai (I have come to Poorvanchal for the first time. I am confident I will get the gift of votes as muhdikhai)," she said striking an instant chord with the people.

In the face of dissent in the family which had left Chief Minister and party president Akhilesh Yadav almost alone to lead the campaign, he found sufficient support in his wife who took to electioneering on her own and with ease.

The shy daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav has not desisted from attacking even the high and mighty political opponents but with dignity and decorum in the times when electioneering touched a new low.

"Mere angney mein tumhara kya kaam hai?" she questioned in a clear reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's adopted son remark.

She was firm when she remarked in Bhadohi, "I am the daughter of an army man. These people are taking credit for the martyrdom of our soldiers...they are politicising the army... never seen such a government earlier."

She also paid back when she said, "the Modi government which had promised 'achche din' did the 'karnama' of note ban. You were made to run around for taking out your own money from banks. That was your hard earned money...till date there is no detail of how much black money has been detected."

In the over two dozen meetings that she addressed, Dimple's interaction with the surging crowds had been extempore and personal. The response was surprising.

According to party insiders, Dimple's involvement in these elections had not just been confined to campaigning but she had also worked back channels on behalf of her husband.

She is said to have met the Congress leadership, carrying messages from Akhilesh, for finalising the SP-Congress alliance around which the party built up its election strategy.

Not only did her presence add colour to the SP's campaign, she also connected well with the youth and the women.