Why Raj Kumar Pal stepped down as UP chief of Apna Dal (S), a ‘2-personality show'
'I gave my best in the last three years. I was not a selected state president, but an elected one, as I had won our state body polls. I tried to bring democracy into the set-up, but it is a one-man show, or we can say a two-personality show. Ashish and Anupriya run the party. The state chief and other functionaries have no say in the party. I cannot work as a 'rubber stamp' anymore,' he told ThePrint..
Pal, a former MLA from Pratapgarh, told ThePrint that the organisation was being expanded by the party's top brass without his involvement in the exercise. He said that the party's state executive was not revived after remaining dissolved for over one year. He also accused Anupriya's husband and UP cabinet minister, Ashish Patel, of using foul language with party workers.
Lucknow: In a setback for Union Minister and Apna Dal (Sonelal) chief Anupriya Patel, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit chief Raj Kumar Pal has resigned for being 'neglected' by the party, accusing Anupriya of deviating from the principles of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar and party ideologue Sonelal Patel in his resignation letter, submitted Tuesday.
'The whole party system has been ruined by Ashish Patel. He misbehaves with district-level leaders and workers. Politics is not a corporate job, where one can bear any rubbish thing.'
The party functionaries have denied the charges levelled by Pal. Ashish said, 'Pal's allegations are completely false. He only wanted a ticket for himself from one seat of Pratapgarh, but this time that particular seat was likely to go to the BJP, so he would not be able to contest polls. That is why he decided to resign. If the situation was that bad, what was he doing at the party for so many years?'
ThePrint has, however, learnt that Pal is likely to join the Samajwadi Party. According to a senior functionary in SP, 'Pal is in touch with the party's top leadership. He is likely to get a green signal from there soon, but nothing has been finalised yet.'
Speaking to ThePrint, Pal also praised Pallavi Patel, leader of the faction Apna Dal (Kamerwadi), and sister of Anupriya. 'She is more skilled and has struggled a lot more than Anupriya,' he said.
He added, 'Anupriya and Ashish captured Sonelal Patel's legacy, but have not done anything for OBCs (Other Backward Classes). My community, Pal Samaj, has over 20,000 votes in at least 100 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, but they have not done anything for them. I will go where my samaj gets respect. Both SP and BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) have a state president from Pal samaj. Other parties should also learn from them.'
The Pal community in Uttar Pradesh is among the most backward caste groups, known as the Gadaria and Baghel castes. The community is dominant in the districts of Brij and Rohilkhand areas of the state. According to Apna Dal (S) functionaries, the key reason behind making Pal a state unit chief was that the party wanted to look beyond the Kurmis, its support base.
However, instead of focusing on organisational activities, Pal was pressuring the party high command to give him an assembly election ticket, they said. 'Now, Pal's allegations have dealt a big blow to the party cadre as complaints of neglect of local leaders are coming up from several district units. It should be addressed by the party high command,' a local leader told ThePrint.
Pal, 61, was formerly with the Bharatiya Janata Party, but in 2019, he won the bypolls on an Apna Dal (S) ticket from the Pratapgarh seat, which had been vacated by Sangam Lal Gupta—who had moved from Apna Dal to BJP—following his election to Lok Sabha in 2019.
In the 2022 assembly polls, when the SP & Apna Dal (K) alliance fielded Krishna Patel (Anupriya's mother) from that seat, Apna Dal (S) decided not to contest there. The BJP fielded Rajendra Maurya, who won the seat.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: Half face Ambedkar, half face Akhilesh: BJP, BSP slam SP poster for 'hurting Dalit sentiments'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
40 minutes ago
- India Gazette
"Big step": BJP MP Jagdambika Pal praises UP govt for announcing 20% reservation to ex-Agniveers in state police force
New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): BJP MP Jagdambika Pal on Tuesday praised the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to give 20 per cent reservation to ex-Agniveers in direct recruitment to several posts in the state police force. Speaking to ANI, Pal termed it as 'a big step' in the direction of what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said when the Agniveer scheme was implemented. 'When the Agniveer scheme was implemented, even at that time the Prime Minister had said that this is a scheme through which we will prepare people for the Army but after the armed forces, if they want to work in their states, they will be given priority and today the Uttar Pradesh government has taken a big step in that direction. Agniveers will get 20 per cent reservation in UP Police,' Jagdambika Pal said. This announcement was made by Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, who said that today it was decided to give 20 per cent horizontal reservation to Ex-Agniveers. Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Khanna stated, '... the Government of India had introduced a very ambitious scheme, Agneepath, under which the age limit for employing Agniveers and to strengthen them in every way was kept between 17.5 to 21.5 years for 4 years, and after that they were sent off after giving incentives... Today, it has been decided to give 20% horizontal reservation to is a big decision in itself. A provision for 3 years relaxation has also been made for them...' Praising the decision, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said that 'Agniveers', determined to serve Mother India, are the invaluable treasure of the nation. 'For their respectable adjustment after 4 years of service @UPGovt has decided to provide 20% horizontal reservation to former Agniveers in the state police recruitment and 3 years relaxation in the age limit,' CM Yogi said on X. 'Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide 20% reservation to Agniveers. This reservation will be applicable in the direct recruitment of Police Constable, PAC, Horse Mounted Constable and Fireman. Trained, disciplined and dedicated former Agniveers will now participate in achieving the concept of 'Safe Uttar Pradesh - Prosperous Uttar Pradesh,' the UP CM added. (ANI)
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
Bhajan Lal—the master of defection who lived by his own rules
Born on 6 October, 1930, in Bahawalpur in undivided Punjab, Bhajan Lal and his family settled in Adampur, Hisar, after the Partition. His journey from a cloth merchant to a towering political figure, eventually serving as Haryana's Chief Minister for nearly 11 years and nine months, is a testament to his shrewd understanding of power. On his 14th death anniversary, ThePrint looks back at a leader who is known as much for his political manoeuvring as he is for his generosity, and sometimes controversial patronage. Gurugram: Fourteen years after his demise on 3 June 2011, the legacy of Bhajan Lal, often dubbed the promoter of the 'Aya Ram Gaya Ram' politics of Haryana, continues to intrigue and define the state's political landscape. From business to politics: The humble beginnings Bhajan Lal's foray into politics, as he himself once revealed, was initially driven by the desire to expand his business. Starting with a cloth business in 1950, he later ventured into the grain markets before striking gold with ghee trading in 1965. His political career began modestly in 1960 as a village sarpanch in Adampur, followed by a victory in the Block Samiti Chairman elections in 1961. His reputation grew, and by 1967, he was vying for a Congress ticket. Lady luck smiled when the sitting MLA from Adampur, Hari Singh Dabra, defected, paving the way for Bhajan Lal to get a ticket and win the Adampur seat in 1968, marking his debut in the state assembly. The era of defections: A man who guarded MLAs with a gun Bhajan Lal was initially a staunch loyalist of the then-CM Chaudhary Bansi Lal. After becoming an MLA in 1968, he became the chairman of the Haryana Marketing Board and then the agriculture minister in 1970. In his book, Politics of Chaudhar, political analyst Dr Satish Tyagi recounts an interesting anecdote from this period. In 1972, Bhajan Lal was seen guarding the MLA hostel with a double-barrel gun slung over his shoulder, a clear signal of his determination to prevent defections. But the master of defections himself wasn't immune to change. After the Emergency, when the Janata Party formed the government at the Centre in 1977, Bhajan Lal joined Babu Jagjivan Ram's 'Congress for Democracy', which later merged with the Janata Party. Also Read: A love story dashed Chander Mohan's CM dream 15 yrs ago. This time, his Haryana campaign's a family affair The overnight coup: Toppling Devi Lal's government Perhaps the most iconic tale of Bhajan Lal's political astuteness is the overnight toppling of Devi Lal's Janata Party government in 1979. Veteran journalist Pawan Kumar Bansal recounts that Devi Lal, then CM, was on a tour of Hisar and Sirsa when he learned that four of his ministers, including Dairy Minister Bhajan Lal, had rebelled. Devi Lal immediately rounded up 42 MLAs and confined them in his fortified farmhouse in Teja Kheda, Sirsa, reportedly guarding them with a gun. Bhajan Lal, needing two more MLAs for his coup, found his opportunity when two Devi Lal loyalists left the 'fortress'—one for a wedding and the other to tend to a sick uncle. 'Sensing a trap, Devi Lal rushed to the wedding, only to find Bhajan Lal already there. It was through family members visiting the confined MLAs that Bhajan Lal had managed to send his messages, eventually winning over the two crucial legislators,' Bansal told ThePrint. On 26 June, 1979, the day Devi Lal was to prove his majority, he resigned, making Bhajan Lal the Chief Minister for the first time. The Great Crossover The most audacious display of Bhajan Lal's political wizardry came in January 1980. With Indira Gandhi's thumping return to power at the Centre, Bhajan Lal, then a Janata Party CM, feared the dismissal of his government, a common practice after the Janata Party had done the same to Congress governments post-Emergency. Days later, on 22 January 1980, in an unprecedented move in Indian political history, the entire Janata Party cabinet in Haryana switched allegiance overnight, becoming a Congress government, with Bhajan Lal retaining his chief minister's chair. The plot king: A generous giver Beyond his political manoeuvring, Bhajan Lal was renowned for his generosity, particularly when it came to the CM's discretionary quota of plots from the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), now rechristened the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). Veteran journalist Pawan Kumar Bansal, speaking to ThePrint, revealed how Bhajan Lal became famous for distributing HUDA plots generously to politicians, bureaucrats, police officers, judges, journalists, and even his liftman and a peon at the All India Congress Committee office. In 1996, he even gave a plot in Panchkula to Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit from his discretionary quota, which the actor later sold in 2019. Bansal characterised him as a 'PhD in defection' and a 'cordial' leader who rarely lost his temper. He was known to keep officers happy, doing both legitimate and illegitimate work, but always ensuring the files were above board. 'Once when he took a lift in the secretariat, he asked the liftman where he lived. He next asked him if he owned a house. When the liftman replied in the negative, he told an officer accompanying him to allot a HUDA residential plot to him from the CM's discretionary quota. After thinking for a while, Bhajan Lal told the officer that the liftman may not be able to pay the 10 percent earnest money for the plot. So I will pay for him, he said' revealed Bansal. Further political sojourns Bhajan Lal's political journey saw him return as CM in 1982, a controversial move where he took oath even as Devi Lal was summoned by the Governor to prove his majority. This led to a furious Devi Lal allegedly slapping Governor Tapase. Bhajan Lal went on to prove his majority with 57 MLAs, including 20 defectors from opposition parties. He served as chief minister for a third time in 1991, capitalising on the infighting within the Devi Lal family and the collapse of the Chautala government. In 1986, when he was called to the Centre by Rajiv Gandhi to serve as Union Minister for Environment and Forests, he ensured his traditional Adampur seat remained with his family by fielding his wife, Jasma Devi, who won in 1987, extending the Bishnoi family's reign in the constituency. His election victories and later years After beginning his political career in 1961, when he secured the block samiti chairman position in Adampur, Bhajan Lal's first major legislative win came in 1968 when he won the Adampur seat in the Haryana Legislative Assembly on a Congress ticket. He retained Adampur in subsequent assembly elections in 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2000, and 2005, totalling 9 assembly election victories. Bhajan Lal was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Faridabad Parliamentary seat in 1989, from Karnal Lok Sabha seat in 1998, and the Hisar Lok Sabha seat in 2009. His only electoral defeat was to BJP's ID Swami from Karnal Lok Sabha seat in 1999 whom he had defeated a year earlier. His later years, however, were marked by personal and political setbacks. In 2005, despite Congress winning a massive majority under his informal leadership, Bhupinder Singh Hooda was chosen as CM, leaving Bhajan Lal out in the cold. This led to a bitter feud, culminating in Bhajan Lal leaving Congress in 2007 to form his own party, the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), with his younger son Kuldeep Bishnoi. His elder son, Chander Mohan, then Deputy CM in the Hooda government, courted controversy in 2008 by converting to Islam and marrying Anuradha Bali (who became Fiza). This deeply angered Bhajan Lal, who disinherited Chander Mohan from his property. Fiza later died under mysterious circumstances in 2012. Bhajan Lal fought his last election in 2009, winning the Hisar Lok Sabha seat on an HJC ticket. The same year, the HJC emerged as a kingmaker in the state assembly elections, but Hooda once again outmaneuvered Bhajan Lal, engineering the defection of five of the six HJC MLAs to form the government leaving Kuldeep Bishnoi the lone HJC MLA. Bhajan Lal's legacy is that of a political survivor, a master strategist, and a man who understood the art of power play like few others. He remains a figure whose influence on Haryana politics, despite his absence, continues to be felt and discussed. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also Read: 3 mighty Lals shaped Haryana politics for decades. How BJP has co-opted their descendants
The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
Multi-party delegation meets Jaishankar after 4-nation tour exposing Pak's support to terrorism
The delegation led by BJP leader Baijayant Panda met Jaishankar at his office here after the key diplomatic tour and presented their report. New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday met members of a multi-party delegation and received feedback from them on how they exposed Pakistan in various countries over its support to terrorism. In these countries, the delegation members met foreign dignitaries and Indian diaspora during a series of meetings and exposed Pakistan's support to terrorism in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor. 'It was a very good meeting, and we gave External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar our feedback. All members of the delegation provided their inputs and shared their views with him,' said delegation member Harsh V Shringla, a former foreign secretary. Asked what the minister told them, he said, 'He (Jaishankar) told us that our objectives were fulfilled and congratulated the delegation and its leader'. Panda told reporters that their visit abroad was successful where they could explain India's 'new normal' against Pakistan over terrorism. He said the delegation members were united and gave a very strong message to the countries they travelled. 'A successful four-nation tour — Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Algeria. All four countries have taken clear steps against terrorism and understand India's principled stand…,' he said in a post on X. Panda said the countries they visited understand India and its history has been such that 'we don't need to give any justification'. 'We are a country of non-violence and have provided shelter to people from several countries. We had wanted to give the message of India and the new normal that we will retaliate terrorist violence. We ave also imposed economic sanctions and our goal is that Pakistan should stop its policy of supporting terrorism,' he told reporters. Panda also said that the countries they visited are supporting India, not just in economic growth but also against terrorism. Other delegation members who met the external affairs minister included former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma and Satnam Singh Sandhu. Other members of the eight-member delegation included Nishikant Dubey and Asaduddin Owaisi. PTI SKC SKC KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
