By Pradeep Kapoor
LUCKNOW: BJP appears to have made up its mind to promote its own Kurmi backward leaders rather than depending on ally partner Apna Dal (S) of Anupriya Patel.
The manner in which Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath inducted Rama Shankar Patel from Mirjapur in Wednesday expansion of ministry made it clear that party would dump Apna Dal (S).
It would be worth mentioning here that Kurmi backward community is very powerful after Yadavs in UP and plays very important role in vote politics. That is why BJP had joined hands with Apna Dal of Anupriya Patel who got elected along with one other person. Way back in 2014 Anupriya Patel was made minister of state for Heath and family welfare.
Again in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Anupriya was asking for five seats and cabinet berth for her party MLA in UP. The fact remains Apna Dal had nine MLAS but only one ministerial berth with minister of state was given by CM Yogi. Unhappy with allotment of two seats in Lok Sabha, Anupriya Patel was in touch with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi. But there was no understanding between Congress and Apna Dal, so Anupriya decided to go ahead with BJP and won two seats.
But shocked by the behaviour of Anupriya Patel, BJP national President decided to dump her and denied ministerial berth. In order to win over Kurmi backward community BJP appointed Kurmi leader Anandiben Patel as UP Governor and another powerful Kurmi leader Swatantra Dev Singh as state President.
Again in order to provide alternative to Anupriya Patel, BJP MLA from her Lok Sabha constituency Mirjapur Rama Shankar Patel was made minister in the latest expansion.
There was much speculation that husband of Anupriya Patel Asheesh Patel would be given cabinet post in the ministry but he was not considered which shocked Apna Dal. Similarly after sacking Om Prakash Rajbhar President of Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party from cabinet for working against BJP in Lok Sabha polls, BJP decided to promote Anil Rajbhar in recent cabinet expansion.
It may be mentioned that Suheldeo Bhartya Samaj Party of Most Backward Community led by Om Prakash Rajbhar was an ally of BJP and won four assembly seats and they had cabinet berth in Yogi ministry.
But in Lok Sabha polls Om Prakash Rajbhar was demanding more seats while BJP national leadership was not willing to oblige him. With the result Om Prakash Rajbhar fielded his own candidates and tried to damage BJP in Lok Sabha polls.
Soon after the results of Lok Sabha were announced, Om Prakash Rajbhar was sacked from the ministry. Now BJP has decided to promote its own Rajbhar leaders which was evident as Anil Rajbhar was promoted by CM Yogi Adiyanath.
One thing is certain that BJP is busy with social engineering by giving prominence to different leaders of various castes in the party to face by polls for 13 assembly seats vacated after Lok Sabha polls. (IPA Service)
