Pooja Shukla is an Indian politician and social worker. She joined the Samajwadi Party on 2 February 2022 in the presence of Akhilesh Yadav ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election. Pooja Shukla with Akhilesh Yadav after she joined the Samajwadi Party.Pooja Shukla grew up in a middle-class Brahmin family in Lucknow. Pooja Shuklas childhood photo.On 7 June 2017, she made headlines for the first time when she, along with ten others, waved the black flag at the motorcade of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath when he was on his way to Lucknow University, where he had to take part in Hindi Swaraj Diwas event. The next day, she was arrested and sent to jail, where she spent one month. After she was released from jail, she met Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and became the face of the Samajwadi Students Federation. [12]Zee News Pooja Shukla with Mulayam Singh Yadav.On 25 July 2017, she created a self-titled YouTube channel on which she uploads videos related to various social issues.According to Pooja, after the black flag event, she was denied admission at Lucknow University, where she wanted to pursue her post-graduation. [13]YouTube.Pooja Shukla is often termed as the firebrand youth leader of the Samajwadi Party.She is known for her active participation in various protests against the policies of the BJP government, and in 2020, she was arrested from Bell Tower in Lucknow, where she was protesting against the CAA and NRC bills. Pooja Shukla protesting against the CAA bill in Lucknow in 2020.In February 2022, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav picked Pooja Shukla as the candidate from Lucknow North for the Uttar Pradesh assembly election. Reportedly, Akhilesh was so impressed with Pooja that he even denied a ticket to his close aide Abhishek Mishra, who won the Lucknow North seat in the 2012 assembly election.After getting a ticket for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, Pooja was asked why she joined the Samajwadi Party, and she replied, I was impressed by the political struggle of Mulayam Singh Yadav and policies of Akhilesh Yadav. Further, as a youngster who has been active in student politics, I find SP closer to democratic values, something which the BJP and its supporters are hell-bent on violating..Reportedly, even before landing a ticket for the assembly election, Pooja had been actively campaigning in Lucknow North for the Samajwadi Party.