Latest news with #Anupriya
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
As a rebel faction crops up, BJP's UP ally Apna Dal (S) faces a test
One of BJP's key allies in Uttar Pradesh, the Apna Dal (Soneylal) finds itself in a tough spot in the state because of a rebel faction that has floated a separate outfit. On Tuesday, a day before party founder Sone Lal Patel's birth anniversary, former Apna Dal (S) workers led by Chaudhary Brajendra Pratap announced the formation of the Apna Morcha. In response, the party led by Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel said those associated with the new front had been expelled in 2022 for 'anti-party activities'. The rebels have claimed the support of 'all party MLAs' and said they would field candidates in the panchayat polls next year and support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2027 Assembly polls. The Apna Dal (S) has been an NDA ally since 2014. On Wednesday morning, Apna Dal (S) state president R P Gautam wrote to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking the immediate removal of the rebel leaders and their relatives from nominated government posts. He claimed they were re-appointed recently without taking the Apna Dal (S) into confidence. As per his letter, Monika Arya, the wife of Brajendra Pratap Singh, is the Additional Government Advocate for the state administration, while Arvind Bauddh, another rebel leader, is a member of the Purvanchal Development Board. Gautam requested the CM to remove them from their posts to establish 'mutual trust' and protect his party's interests. This, he said, was necessary to 'maintain dignity' and 'strengthen the feeling of trust and transparency towards the NDA alliance among the workers of Apna Dal (S)'. However, party leaders said the rebels would not be a threat on the ground. Apna Dal (S) leader and state minister Ashish Patel told The Indian Express: 'These leaders (rebels) were expelled by the party three years ago. This front is part of a bigger conspiracy that keeps cropping up when we plan something big organisationally. These people have no political base.' But many in the Apna Dal (S) said the rebels could slow the momentum the party had seemed to have picked up in the last couple of weeks. In May, the party made some key appointments and rejigged its organisation. This was an attempt to showcase the party's strength in the run-up to Sone Lal Patel's birth anniversary and set the ball rolling for the panchayat polls. Anupriya and Ashish have also been conducting monthly party meetings in Lucknow to take stock of the organisational overhaul, with the Union MoS also starting to push for a separate Union Ministry for OBCs, underlining the party's strategy to reach out to various OBC communities and create a broader vote bank. The Apna Dal (S) recorded its best performance in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, when it won 12 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it contested two seats, with Anupriya retaining her Mirzapur Lok Sabha seat by more than 37,000 votes. The party, however, lost from Robertsganj.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Apna Dal (S) expands base for 2027 UP Polls
The Apna Dal (Soneylal) party led by Anupriya Patel , is filling its organisational ranks with backward castes besides Kurmis, Dalits and Muslims and also giving tickets to them, as the party looks to increase its base both geographically and socially in Uttar Pradesh which is facing assembly elections in 2027. Even though it is a BJP ally , Apna Dal (S) has been giving tickets to Muslims with Anupriya stating categorically time and again that her party is different from the BJP. Eyeing to improve its tally in the 2027 assembly polls and to emerge as a pan-Uttar Pradesh force, the Apna Dal (S) is readying its social engineering strategy among the socially backward castes. The party, which is usually identified with the Kurmis in Eastern UP, has now appointed a Jatav (Dalit) as its UP unit chief and a Muslim as its youth wing head. The party has also appointed two Muslims, a Pasi (SC) and a Sahu (SC) also in its organisational team for UP. In her interactions with the top BJP leadership at the Centre and also in Uttar Pradesh, Anupriya has always highlighted issues related to the OBCs and SCs, whether it be appointment of teachers in the state or other issues. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Birla Evara 3 and 4 BHK from ₹ 1.75 Crore* Birla Estates Learn More Undo Social justice has been a major theme of the party's ideology, party leaders said as evident in the fact that out of its 13 MLAs, five are Dalits, one a Muslim, one an OBC and one from the general caste.
Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In pursuit of UP poll leverage, how BJP ally Apna Dal (S) is playing the long game
Looking to expand beyond its core Kurmi base and strengthen its organisation, the Apna Dal (Soneylal) party has been making key appointments for the past month in Uttar Pradesh. On May 29, the party led by Union Minister Anupriya Patel appointed Dalit leader R P Gautam, who hails from the Jatav community, as its state president, and on June 16, it tapped Prayagraj-based youth leader Ammad Hassan to lead its youth wing. In addition to this, the party recently also appointed coordinators for each of the 403 Assembly seats in UP. Sources said the new appointments were an attempt to showcase the party's strength in the run-up to founder Sone Lal Patel's birth anniversary on July 2 and set the ball rolling for the panchayat polls in 2026. Anupriya Patel and state Cabinet Minister Ashish Patel, her husband, have been conducting monthly party meetings in Lucknow to take stock of the organisational overhaul. Anupriya has also started publicly pushing for a separate Union Ministry for OBCs and highlighted the party's strategy to reach out to various OBC communities to create a broader vote bank. Sources said the efforts were all in preparation for the 2027 polls, and the BJP ally wants to be in a position to go solo if needed and have greater bargaining power. 'We are moving strategically and trying to strengthen our party and its base. In the next few days, you will see more announcements. We are the only party in the state to have a Jatav Dalit state chief. We might not be in a position to take policy decisions directly for the Dalits and OBCs. But we are making attempts to influence policy decisions,' said a senior party leader. He also said the party's outreach efforts were visible in the issues they were backing 'We are supporting the demand for a caste-based Census, pushing for OBC reservation in central schools and NEET examinations … Our leader Anupriya Patel ji is pushing with a fresh demand for a separate OBC Ministry,' the leader said. Newly appointed state president Gautam told The Indian Express that efforts were on to expand the party and strengthen it at the grassroots. 'Our pitch will be centred on social justice and upliftment of the deprived sections,' he said. After Anupriya took over the party in 2009, Apna Dal (S) saw its best performance in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, when it won 12 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Apna Dal (S) contested two seats. Patel retained her Mirzapur Lok Sabha constituency by more than 37,000 votes, but the party lost Robertsganj. In a bid to course correct, and to be on surer footing, the party dissolved all of its units and started building its organisation from scratch after the polls. On April 14, the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, the Apna Dal (S) launched a statewide membership drive. The panchayat polls, which are due early next year, will be the first test for the party after the revamp. Even though the panchayat polls in UP are not contested on party lines, political parties directly or indirectly extend their support to candidates. This time, the party has decided to extend support to candidates in a more official and structured manner, according to insiders.
NDTV
12-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Chennai Launches India's First AC Lounges For Delivery Agents
Chennai: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the Greater Chennai Corporation has opened two swanky, air-conditioned rest lounges exclusively for gig workers, offering much-needed relief to food, grocery, and parcel delivery personnel who navigate the city daily under extreme conditions. Designed with a modern Scandinavian aesthetic, these rest lounges feature comfortable seating for up to 25 people, clean drinking water, charging points for mobile phones, and well-maintained washrooms. The pilot project, built at Rs 25 lakh, marks a significant step toward recognizing the needs of thousands of partners employed with food delivery platforms. For many delivery workers, especially women, these lounges are more than just a place to sit - they're a safe and dignified space. "We often struggled without a place to rest. We used to wait outside restaurants," said Anupriya, a woman delivery agent. "Now, the Corporation and Chief Minister have given us this lounge, understanding our plight. It feels safe even at night. I thank them for this." Another delivery agent, Kalaiarasan, highlighted how the lounges offer relief from Chennai's harsh weather. "It's so hot in the city. We used to sit in parks after difficult rides. This place is peaceful and refreshing." Finance Minister Thangam Thennarassu, in his budget speech,h had mentioned plans for these in Chennai and Coimbatore. The Chennai Corporation has announced plans to expand the initiative across more locations in Chennai based on the success of the pilot. As cities across India grow more dependent on gig economy workers, Chennai's move could serve as a national model for promoting worker welfare in the informal sector - offering not just comfort, but also respect, dignity and recognition to those who keep the city running.
Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Why Anupriya Patel's party has placed a little-known Dalit leader at the helm in UP
Though the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are a couple of years away, parties in the state are already jostling for the all-important Dalit vote, with a OBC party like BJP ally Apna Dal (Soneylal) that draws its support from mostly the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Kurmi community also making efforts to reach out to Dalit communities. To that end, the party on May 29 appointed R P Gautam, a Jatav leader, as its state president. Gautam is from Sitapur and currently serves as the president of the Apna Dal's cooperative wing. Since he is little known — he has not contested any election till now — the party is planning to increase his visibility among people through public meetings that party chief and Union Minister Anupriya Patel is also likely to attend. According to insiders, Gautam's name was finalised after a group of top party leaders, including Anupriya and Uttar Pradesh Minister Ashish Patel, her husband, held a series of meetings in Delhi and Lucknow over the last month. Explaining why Gautam was chosen, a party leader said, 'Other Dalit sub-castes are scattered and are concentrated in certain regions and districts, but Jatavs are spread across all 403 Assembly constituencies of the state and number around 30,000-50,000 in each seat.' The move comes close on the heels of the Samajwadi Party (SP) stepping up its efforts to reach out to Dalits and inducting Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder-member Daddu Prasad. The party also held week-long celebrations to commemorate Dr B R Ambedkar's birth anniversary on April 14. Recently, when its MP Ramji Lal Suman came under fire for his alleged derogatory comments on Rajput king Rana Sanga, the SP countered by saying the attacks were 'anti-Dalit'. Dalits make up 21% of Uttar Pradesh's population, of which Jatavs make up 14%, followed by the Pasis at 7%. While Jatavs are seen to be the core voter base of the Mayawati-led BSP, Pasis have rallied behind the SP since last year's Lok Sabha elections. After bagging the most parliamentary seats from UP, the SP promoted Faizabad MP Awadesh Prasad, who belongs to the community. Another Apna Dal said that support from the Jatavs, combined with the party's core Kurmi and Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) support base, will put it in a good position in next year's local body elections as well as the Assembly polls. At present, the party has 13 MLAs while Anupriya is its sole Lok Sabha MP. Senior Apnal Dal leaders pointed to the successes the BSP achieved when its Jatav support base combined with OBC faces such as Ram Khelawan Verma, Babu Singh Kushwaha, and Lalji Verma. The social combination, according to the leader, has been the foundation of the Apna Dal since its inception in November 1995 by Sonelal Patel who, he said, was an avid follower of BSP founder Kanshi Ram. Though Sonelal Patel did not win any election, he made his presence felt in the state's politics and rose to become a Kurmi face. The Apna Dal currently holds sway in areas such as Prayagraj, Kaushambi and its adjoining districts. Ashish Patel said the Apna Dal's foundational value was always uplifting the suppressed classes. 'Of our 13 legislators, five are from Dalit communities (three Jatavs, one Kol and one Pasi), five from the Kurmi community and one each from the Brahmin, Muslim and Sonar communities. This is evidence that our party gives representation to all the communities,' he said. Though it came as a surprise to many that Gautam was appointed, it is not the first time that the party has chosen a Dalit leader to helm its Uttar Pradesh unit. Earlier, Jamuna Prasad Saroj, a Pasi leader, led the state unit. The rejig was necessitated after the party's state executive was dissolved about a year ago following the resignation of former state chief Rajkumar Pal, an OBC leader. Alleging that Ashish and Anupriya Patel were 'ignoring' him and 'not keeping him in the loop' about party affairs, Pal had said in his resignation letter that the party had deviated from the ideology of Ambedkar and Sonelal Patel. A senior Apna Dal leader said Pal's 'odd behaviour and other activities' had led to the state executive being dissolved and claimed that the former state chief 'had been warned several times' about his actions.
