Apna Dal (S), Apna Dal (K) likely to have tough fight in East UP

VARANASI : Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), an ally of Samajwadi Party (SP), is most likely to have a tough fight with Apna Dal (Sonelal), an alliance partner of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on two assembly seats -- Madiyahu and Rohania of Eastern Uttar Pradesh in the forthcoming state assembly elections.

Apna Dal (K) has got seven assembly seats in its share, including Madiyahu and Rohania, in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and other seats in Allahabad region. On the other hand, Apna Dal (S) is also demanding Rohania seat in Varanasi district and Madiyahun in Jaunpur district, as per the sources in the BJP.

“The seven assembly seats including Rohania and Pindra in Varanasi district, Madihan of Mirzapur, Ghorawal of Sonbhadra and Madiyahun seat of Jaunpur district, Pratapgarh Sadar, and Prayagraj West have come in the share of Apna Dal (K), said Varanasi district unit president of Apna Dal (K), Umesh Chandra Maurya, adding the party president Krishna Patel is likely to contest from Rohania seat.

Madiyahun Assembly seat in Jaunapur was won by Apna Dal (S) candidate Leena Tiwari in 2017.

Its national spokesperson Rajesh S Patel said, “The candidates on the seats (which Apna Dal (S) has gotten as an ally in the regions where polling is scheduled in first, second, third, fourth, and fifth phases) has already been announced. The candidates for all seats in Eastern UP will be announced soon.”

Patel, however, didn’t disclose the names of the seats.

Apna Dal (K) contested some of these seats in the 2017 elections. But its candidate had to contest as independent due to some controversy over the poll symbol then.

This time, the party is registered as Apna Dal (K) and is an alliance partner of the SP. It has been given Purvanchal’s KurmiPatel dominated seats, keeping in mind the caste equation. The real scenario, however, will be clear within three days after the BJP announces its candidates on these seats.

Apna Dal (K) President Krishna Patel contested the 2017 election from Rohaniya as an independent candidate. She came fourth with 9,549 votes. Rohania is the assembly constituency from where Apna Dal (S) president and Sonelal Patel’s daughter, Anupriya Patel, had won in 2012. Then, she contested as Apna Dal candidate. Later, she formed an alliance with the BJP.

Pindra is also an important constituency for the party. Apna Dal founder Sonelal Patel had also contested from the seat (then it was Kolasala), but he had to face defeat. While in the Madiyahun seat, the party’s candidate Seema Singh ended fourth and secured 21,440 votes.