Raebareli MLA Aditi Singh has made serious accusations against Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. During an interview on the ANI Podcast with journalist Smita Prakash, Aditi Singh asserted that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had instructed her ex-husband Angad Saini to speak negatively about Aditi Singh’s character. This podcast episode, featuring BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla, is scheduled to air on Wednesday (20th March).
In the video snippet of the podcast episode that went viral on social media, Aditi Singh can be seen saying, “Unfortunately we got divorced. What happened towards the end during ticket distribution – Priyanka Gandhi says to my ex-husband – you talk smack about her, on her character.”
Aditi Singh, currently serving as the MLA for the Raebareli Sadar constituency in Uttar Pradesh, was initially elected to the state assembly in 2017 representing the Congress party. However, in November 2021, she switched allegiance from the Congress to the BJP.
The BJP nominated her for the Rae Bareli Sadar seat, which falls within the Raebareli Lok Sabha constituency, currently held by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the sole Congress MP in Uttar Pradesh. Aditi Singh secured 1.02 lakh votes following a fierce electoral contest with her closest competitor, Ram Pratap Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, who garnered 95,254 votes. The Congress candidate trailed significantly in third place.
Akhilesh Singh, Aditi Singh’s father, served as the representative for the Congress party in the constituency from 1993 to 2007. However, he ran as an independent candidate in 2007 and later contested on a ticket from the Peace Party of India in 2012.
Aditi Singh’s defiance has a history spanning several years. In 2019, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Party lodged a formal complaint with the Speaker at the time, requesting Aditi’s disqualification. This action was prompted by Aditi’s attendance at a special assembly session convened by the Yogi Adityanath-led government. Additionally, she has openly criticised various decisions made by the Congress Party on multiple occasions.
After her rebellion in 2019, the Congress party refused to grant a ticket to Aditi Singh’s then-husband, Angad Saini, who had expressed a desire to contest from Nawanshahr, Punjab. Saini, who had previously been elected as an MLA in 2017, decided to run as an independent candidate against the Congress nominee, Satvir Singh Palli Jhikki, for the Nawanshahr seat in the state Assembly elections, but was unsuccessful.
Saini publicly criticised the Congress high command for overlooking him, alleging that the decision was not based on his performance as a party MLA but rather on issues related to his wife. Saini subsequently rejoined the Congress in May 2022.