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Indian Express
20 hours ago
- 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.
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Behind Apna Dal (S) naming a Dalit UP chief, a bid to cut into BSP's voter base
Gautam, an old loyalist and the party's co-operative wing chief, has now taken up the responsibility. The 60-year-old hails from the Sitapur district, and has also been a Dalit rights activist and social worker for the past two decades. Earlier this month, the former state president, Raj Kumar Pal, had resigned from the position after accusing Anupriya and her husband Ashish Patel—a minister in Uttar Pradesh cabinet—of neglecting him and mistreating party workers. Lucknow: Union Minister Anupriya Patel's Apna Dal (Sonelal) appointed Jatav R.P. Gautam as the president of its Uttar Pradesh unit Thursday, in a move which is being viewed as the party's attempt to woo the Dalit community. The position of state president was previously held by an OBC leader (Pal), but now the party has picked a Jatav (segment of Dalit community) leader for the role for the first time in a bid to increase its outreach, according to party functionaries. 'This is the first time we have appointed a Jatav state chief, in line with our social engineering plan. We are hoping for positive results,' Ashish Patel told ThePrint. A senior functionary said, on the condition of anonymity, that the party wants to step out of the image of an OBC party. 'This move comes at a time when the support base of BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), which is considered the first choice of Jatavs, has been shrinking for the last few years. Jatavs are looking for an alternative. So, our leadership has decided to focus on increasing its base. The population of Jatavs is above 12 percent in the state, which is significant in creating an impact in electoral politics,' the leader told ThePrint. Now, as the party focuses on the preparation for the upcoming local body elections this year and the 2027 assembly elections, Gautam has been given this big responsibility, he added. However, Apna Dal (S) is not the only party eyeing BSP's core vote bank. The Samajwadi Party's 'Pichda, Dalit, Alpasankhyak (backward-Dalit-minority)' plank got a big boost in April this year, following the induction of former minister and BSP founding member Daddu Prasad, along with a few other local BSP leaders. Before this, SP had inducted several BSP leaders last year, too. Additionally, SP's district units had also held a week-long 'Swambhiman Samman Samaroh' to mark the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar this year. The aim was to reach out to prominent members of the Dalit community at grassroot level and felicitate them. Similarly, Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad-led Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) is also planning to expand their base, having completed the process of appointing local units in all 75 districts of the state. UP-based political analyst Shilp Shikha Singh explained that BSP's 'downfall' has opened up space for other parties in terms of the Dalit voter base. 'Every party has realised after Lok Sabha results in UP that there is scope to gain this 'loyal' vote bank of the BSP, as the old party is not able to perform well in polls. The grand celebration announcements on Ambedkar Jayanti last month have also given a hint that every party is eyeing Dalit votes. As of now, it seems like a smart move by a BJP ally (Apna Dal).' (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: Why Raj Kumar Pal stepped down as UP chief of Apna Dal (S), a '2-personality show'
The Print
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
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'
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘With authentic figures, we can have proper allocations'
Union minister and Apna Dal leader, Anupriya Patel says the union government's decision to conduct caste-based enumeration along with the upcoming census will lay the ground for better policy making by providing 'authentic' data on caste groups. Patel's partry is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party and has been pushing for a caste census. In an interview to HT she said, she is now hopeful that the government will consider her demand for carving out a separate ministry for other backward classes (OBCs) . Edited excepts Your party has always demanded a caste census. What will change on the ground once the enumeration is done ? First of all, the caste census will give us authentic numbers. We have had authentic numbers for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes but not for the OBCs. Their number has always been estimated, so, for the first time since Independence the government will have the accurate numbers. Second, whatever welfare programs, policies have been drafted in all these years, these are based on outdated data, which we had from the 1931 (caste) census. We need a fresh count and updated information. Third, caste-based discrimination is a reality. You can't shy away from it and if you really want to build a self-reliant and developed India, you have to first understand the extent of social inequities. That is when you can make targetted interventions. And you cannot deny that caste is a critical determinant of social as well as economic disparities and inequities. The fourth thing is there have been thousands of castes and sub castes in India for thousands of knows there are several such castes and subcastes who still face an identity crisis. They still have a strong feeling that we don't have an identity in society. So, this caste-census will be an instrument, a medium that will help them overcome this identity crisis and give them their due place in society, in the social hierarchy. When you have authentic figures, you can have proper budgetary allocations because you understand the extent of deprivation, and where exactly interventions are required. You has said the caste census will put an end to misconception .... What did you imply? There were methodical errors and flaws. They did not take care of the technical barriers. They could not publish that data, so they tried to give an impression that caste census is not possible. There has been no transparency. There has been no clarity of intent. They tried to create the misconception that caste census is not possible. Some states have conducted a caste survey, but then how are they using it? They are using it for political agendas. Are they really going to address the real concerns of society like we plan to do by collecting this data? The opposition also says that the announcement has been made with an eye on elections, Bihar later this year and Uttar Pradesh in 2027. What would they have said if we had announced it next year, or a year later. See, this is a huge country . We have elections in some part of the country or the other every year. So irrespective of when you announce it, they will always say that it is for elections. There is clarity of intent, we are committed to social justice and caste census has been a long pending demand. We are meeting this demand with the promise that we will focus our policies after getting the authentic numbers towards those sections of the society who have been left behind in this journey of growth and development of the country. And we will not take six decades to do it and our census will not have methodic flaws that the SECC data had. There's also a perception that parties like yours that are part of the NDA put pressure on the government to announce the caste-count. Within the NDA there are parties that have been raising this issue, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always granted an audience to all the allies. He understood that this is an issue which is very relevant. What the opposition says is not important because they were not clear in their intent when they were in power, but our government is committed to social justice. The PM is very sensitive towards issues pertaining to the interests of the SC/ST and the other marginalised communities. You have also been raising the demand for a separate OBC ministry. Do you think that will be the next step? I'm very hopeful that just as the way the demand for the OBC Commission being given a constitutional status has been fulfilled, just as the way OBC quota has been introduced in NEET PG, and just as the way caste census has been agreed upon by this too will be done.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
I assure RG caste census won't take six decades: Anupriya Patel
Union Minister Anupriya Patel asserts that the caste census will enable data-driven policies, benefiting intended recipients. She criticizes Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for attempting to claim credit, highlighting the Modi government's initiatives like the OBC Commission and NEET-PG quota. Patel clarifies the census aims to address socio-economic inequities, not solely to increase reservations, and assures a systematic, timely process. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Union Minister and Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel feels caste census will help formulate data-driven policies for the intended beneficiaries. In an interview to Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi, she hit out at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for trying to claim credit. Excerpts:This is our first chance to conduct a census. Including caste data is a bold and historic move by the Modi government . Previous governments had many chances but didn't at all. We're in our third term. Key steps like giving Constitutional status to the OBC Commission and NEET-PG quota were our initiatives. NDA allies like Apna Dal (S) and JD (U) have long supported data is not being collected keeping reservations in view. Caste-based discrimination is a reality and caste is a critical determinant of socio-economic inequities in society. There is a huge population of SC/ST/OBCs which has been left behind. Government benefits do not reach the intended beneficiaries (due to lack of data).There are elections every year- Bihar now, Tamil Nadu and others next. That logic can be applied any were part of UPA. Why didn't they do it then? They also ruled states-did they conduct a caste census there?I assure him-it won't take 60 years. We will conduct it systematically.
