Uttar Pradesh Assembly election | Smaller parties explore electoral success outside Purvanchal
The Hindu
Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party are trying to explore success outside their traditional strongholds in eastern U.P.
So far, the Apna Dal (S), headed by Union Minister Anupriya Patel, an ally of the BJP, has declared candidates for three seats, all of them outside Purvanchal, where it has popular support in the Mirzapur-Prayagraj-Varanasi belts. In 2017, it won nine seats, all of them in the eastern parts, including Mirzapur, Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Pratapgarh and Jaunpur.
Springing a surprise this time, the Apna Dal has fielded Haider Ali Khan, a member of the erstwhile Rampur royalty from Suar seat in Rohilkhand in northwest U.P. against Abdullah Azam, son of senior SP leader Azam Khan, who is currently lodged in jail and is the candidate from Rampur Sadar.
The Apna Dal, which claims influence among the Kurmi OBC community which is traditionally associated with farming, has also declared candidates for Ghatampur in Kanpur and Kaimganj in Farukkhabad in central U.P. In Ghatampur, it has fielded Saroj Kureel, who had secured a second spot as a BSP candidate in 2017. BJP MLA from Ghatampur and Cabinet Minister Kamal Rani died of COVID-19 in 2020.