Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Pallavi Patel-led Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) announced a new alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Sunday. This comes after Apna Dal (K) snubbed the opposition's I.N.D.I.A bloc. Other parties like Premchand Bind's Pragatisheel Manav Samaj Party and Rashtriya Uday Party are also included in the alliance.
PDM against PDA
However, the alliance did not clarify how many seats it will contest in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to the media, Patel said they have put PDM -- Pichda (backwards), Dalit (scheduled castes) and Muslims PDM forward to defeat PDA -- Pichda (backwards), Dalit (scheduled castes) and Alpasankhyak (minorities). 'A' has no true meaning and place in PDA, hence we have brought 'M' in place of A," she added.
Pallavi Patel on Swami Prasad Maurya
On Swami Prasad Maurya, the Apna Dal chief said he is welcome if he wishes to join the alliance. Earlier on February 22, former Samajwadi Party leader Maurya launched his new party ‘Rashtriya Shoshit Samaaj Party’ at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi days after quitting the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.
The Samajwadi Party called off its ties with Apna Dal (Kameravadi) amid the differences between the alliance partners that had been playing out in public for a long time. "We were in alliance with Apna Dal (Kameravadi) in the 2022 Assembly polls but it is not in 2024." Akhilesh Yadav told the media.
Why rift erupted between SP and Apna Dal (K)?
The rift between the two parties came to the fore when Apna Dal (K) leader and SP MLA Pallavi Patel refused to vote for two SP candidates in the February Rajya Sabha polls, saying that the SP had ignored its own PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpasankhyak) formula in its choice of candidates. She eventually claimed she had voted for the only Dalit among the three SP candidates.
The Apna Dal (K) is a faction of the Apna Dal founded by OBC leader Dr Sonelal Patel, who died in a road accident in 2009. The other faction--BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) -- is headed by Krishna Patel's other daughter Anupriya, who is a Union minister and the MP from Mirzapur.
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