Anupriya Patel, the National President of Apna Dal (Sonelal) and a Union Minister, has made significant organizational changes, including a demotion for her husband, Ashish Patel, who is a minister in the Yogi government.
UP Politics: A major organizational reshuffle has occurred within Apna Dal (Sonelal), an important ally in Uttar Pradesh politics. Anupriya Patel, the National President and a Union Minister of the party, has made several key decisions while reorganizing the party's office bearers, which directly impacted her husband, Ashish Patel, who is a minister in the UP government.
Anupriya Patel has issued a new list, removing Ashish Patel from the post of Executive President and assigning him the responsibility of National Vice President. This means that Ashish Patel, who previously held the second-most important position in the party, has been moved to the third position.
Mata Badal Tiwari Given a Major Responsibility
In the new organization, Mata Badal Tiwari has been placed above Ashish Patel and will remain in the role of National Vice President, but he will now hold the second-most important position. This means that Mata Badal Tiwari's name has been established as the most influential office bearer in the party after Anupriya Patel. Political analysts believe that this change has come after internal discontent within the party and a recent rebellion, in order to maintain balance in the organization and to ensure trust in the leadership.
In fact, internal strife had intensified in Apna Dal (S) in recent days. Some old and founding members of the party had separated and announced the formation of a new organization called Apna Morcha. These leaders even claimed that 9 out of the 13 MLAs of Apna Dal (S) were with them. This created a stir within the party leadership, and efforts to maintain unity began.
Ashish Patel himself had said at an event in Lucknow that the party was united and that this new front was only a part of a conspiracy. However, after these events, Anupriya Patel decided to take strict action in the organization.
These New Faces Also Found a Place
Not only was Ashish Patel's stature reduced in the organizational changes, but several new faces were also given important responsibilities.
- KK Patel has been made the National General Secretary.
- Rakesh Yadav, Alka Patel, and Pappa Mali have been appointed as National Secretaries.
- Amit Patel and Rekha Verma have been given the responsibility of National Executive Committee members.
Through these appointments, the party has tried to send a clear message that it is working on a strategy to give opportunities to new people and to quell internal discontent.
Impact on Political Equations
This tug-of-war within Apna Dal (S) is not just an internal matter of the party, but it is also considered very important from the perspective of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2025 UP Assembly elections. As an important ally of the BJP alliance, the upheaval in Apna Dal (S) can also directly affect the BJP.
If the situation of a split deepens in the party, it could prove to be a headache for the NDA's equations. Perhaps seeing this danger, Anupriya Patel, in one fell swoop, changed the balance of the organization and sent a clear message to the disgruntled factions that her hold on the party has not weakened.
