Anupriya Patel vs Krishna Patel for UP Polls 2022: What is this rivalry?

Anupriya Patel-led Apna Dal (S) has decided to withdraw its candidate from the Pratapgarh Sadar seat for Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 to avoid family conflict, as her mother Krishna Patel has filed her nomination from the seat.

Krishna Patel, National President of Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) filed her nomination on Monday afternoon as a joint SP alliance candidate. Apna Dal (S)’s decision to vacate the seat came after that. 

But the family issues have made the situation perplexing in the Pratapgarh Sadar Assembly seat. Apna Dal (S) candidate Rajendra Prasad had filed his nomination and is unwilling to step back, while the party has given the seat to the BJP. The BJP, on its part, has hastily asked its treasurer Rajendra Kumar to file a nomination.

Certainly, Anupriya Patel doesn’t want to politically hurt her mother, but Krishna Patel was unmoved by this gesture. She said, "Kaairon aur gaddaron ko tyagi banne ki zarurat nahi (Cowards and traitors don’t need to make sacrifices)."

Now, the million-dollar question is, why did Krishna Patel say that?

What is this rift between Krishna Patel and her daughter Anupriya Patel that led her to use such harsh words for her daughter?

What is the whole rivalry between the two?

Here is what you need to know.

WHAT IS THE ANUPRIYA PATEL VS KRISHNA PATEL RIVALRY?

Apna Dal's family feud made headlines in 2014. Anupriya Patel was the National General Secretary of the party back then. Krishna Patel, wife of Apna Dal founder Dr Sonelal, removed their younger daughter Anupriya from the post on charges of indiscipline.

Krishna accused Anupriya of having wild political ambitions for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. She said that Anupriya threatened to amalgamate the party with other parties if she wasn’t allowed to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

Krishna Patel also accused daughter Anupriya Patel of contributing to her defeat from the Rohania Assembly seat in the 2014 by-polls. Krishna Patel said that Anupriya's husband, Ashish Kumar Singh, wanted to contest from the seat but was denied a ticket. As revenge, Anupriya Patel made sure Krishna Patel lost from seat.

The seat was won by Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Mahendra Singh Patel. Anupriya Patel won the Rohania seat in the 2012 UP Assembly Elections. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, she became an MP from Mirzapur, and she gave up the Rohania seat.

Krishna also accused Anupriya of tampering with the records of the party at the central office in 2014. She called her daughter's attitude dictatorial since she became an MP in 2014.

After removing Anupriya, Krishna Patel elevated her elder daughter, Pallavi Patel, to the post of National President in 2014.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER RIFT OUT IN THE OPEN

Anupriya Patel, on her removal as the National General Secretary of Apna Dal, had said that her mother had no authority to take that decision. She said that her mother wanted things her own way in the party. Being the secretary, she couldn’t be a mute spectator to what was happening. Charging at her mother and a few party leaders, Anupriya said that they wanted her to break the alliance with BJP for 2014 Lok Sabha elections for their own political benefits.

The mother-daughter tussle led Apna Dal to split into two. One led by mother Krishna Patel, Apna Dal (K); while the other, Apna Dal (S), was formed in 2016 and led by Anupriya Patel.

THE RISE OF APNA DAL (SONELAL)

Anupriya Patel became the Party Chief of Apna Dal (S), founded on December 14, 2016. Apna Dal (S) was founded by Jawahar Lal Patel, who was one of the founding members of Apna Dal in 1995 alongside Anupriya's father.

Anupriya Patel from the beginning knew the art of championing social causes that lead to political gains. In 2013, when the three-stage reservation was announced in the UP Public Service Commission, Anupriya openly supported pro-reservationists. During the protests, General category students were against Reserved category students.

Anupriya also went to jail more than once for this. She was the new heroine of social causes in UP.

In the 2014 elections, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah deposed faith in her as an OBC leader. The gamble gave returns as BJP swept eastern UP, barring Azamgarh. Anupriya also won the Mirzapur seat in alliance with BJP in 2014. She was made the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from 2016-2019.

In the 2017 UP Assembly Elections, Apna Dal, which was the an ally of BJP, won 9 seats while contesting on 11.

In 2019 Apna Dal (S) contested on two Lok Sabha seats in an alliance with BJP and won both. Anupriya Patel comprehensively won from Mirzapur, while Pakauri Lal won from Robertsganj. Since July 2021, Anupriya is the MoS for Commerce and and Industry.

WANTED TO MEND WAYS WITH MOTHER

In January 2017, Anupriya Patel tried to mend relations with her mother. She asked Krishna Patel to be the Party Chief and contest from the Rohania seat again. However, she made clear that she did not want any intervention from elder sister Pallavi Patel.

Anupriya's efforts didn’t yield any returns as Krishna Patel didn’t react to them. It was also because Anupriya had sent the message through Brajesh Pratap Singh, the party’s General Secretary, while herself remaining in the background.

In 2018, on the 69th birth anniversary of Dr Sonelal, Krishna Patel and Anupriya organised two separate events. Anupriya Patel organised an event in Lucknow, which was attended by UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Lok Janshakti Party leader, late Ram Vilas Paswan.

Krishna Patel on the other hand, to show opposition unity against the BJP, organised an event in Varanasi. It was was attended by Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary, Congress leader Sanjay Singh, Communist Party of India (M) leaders and a few Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders.

While the daughter had sided with the BJP, the mother was consolidating an anti-BJP group. 

APNA DAL - THE PARTY

Apna Dal, the Kurmi-based outfit, was formed in November 1995 by Anupriya’s father Dr Sonelal. The party was the result of Sonelal’s differences with late Dalit leader Kanshi Ram. Sonelal alleged that Kanshi gave more relevance to the young Mayawati then, instead of other Dalit faces in the party. Sonelal had bitter relations with Mayawati.

The rift grew wider when the Kanshi Ram chose Mayawati to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1995. BJP lent outside support to the BSP. Though the government was short-lived (June-October 1995), it had driven a wedge in the party.

Sonelal formed the party in November 1995 with other party leaders who backed him. On August 4, 1995, he addressed a meeting attended by 1 lakh voters.

However, the party fared poorly in the 2007 UP Assembly Elections, getting zero seats. It also scored nil in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Sonelal died in a road accident in 2009.

The party’s reins were overtaken by Anupriya Patel. In 2012 UP Elections, Apna Dal contested on 76 seats winning only one. Anupriya Patel won the Rohania seat and from here, her journey to success began.