Apna Dal (S) expands base for 2027 UP Polls

The Apna Dal (Soneylal) party led by Anupriya Patel, is filling its organisational ranks with backward castes besides Kurmis, Dalits and Muslims and also giving tickets to them, as the party looks to increase its base both geographically and socially in Uttar Pradesh which is facing assembly elections in 2027. Even though it is a BJP ally, Apna Dal (S) has been giving tickets to Muslims with Anupriya stating categorically time and again that her party is different from the BJP.

Eyeing to improve its tally in the 2027 assembly polls and to emerge as a pan-Uttar Pradesh force, the Apna Dal (S) is readying its social engineering strategy among the socially backward castes. The party, which is usually identified with the Kurmis in Eastern UP, has now appointed a Jatav (Dalit) as its UP unit chief and a Muslim as its youth wing head. The party has also appointed two Muslims, a Pasi (SC) and a Sahu (SC) also in its organisational team for UP.

In her interactions with the top BJP leadership at the Centre and also in Uttar Pradesh, Anupriya has always highlighted issues related to the OBCs and SCs, whether it be appointment of teachers in the state or other issues.

Social justice has been a major theme of the party's ideology, party leaders said as evident in the fact that out of its 13 MLAs, five are Dalits, one a Muslim, one an OBC and one from the general caste.