Lucknow: Ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections, Apna Dal (Soneylal) chief Anupriya Patel faces fresh challenges in her strongholds of Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts, as two new political players threaten to alter the electoral dynamics in the Vindhya region.
While former IAS officer Divya Mittal has become active in Mirzapur, former Robertsganj MP Pakauri Lal Kol has recently floated a new political party, adding to Patel’s challenges in the region.
The Vindhya region in eastern Uttar Pradesh, particularly Mirzapur, is considered an Apna Dal (S) stronghold. Patel has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Mirzapur three times. However, the emergence of Mittal and Kol has triggered discussions in political circles about how the Union Minister will face her potential political challengers in this belt.
Former MP Kol has launched the Vindhya Samta Samaj Party, a move that could particularly influence the Kol community. Grouped under the larger Scheduled Caste (SC) umbrella in Uttar Pradesh, the Kols have been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status without much success.
The former MP is believed to have considerable influence in the region, especially in the Chhanbey and Marihan Assembly constituencies. His family also has a political presence in the area; his daughter-in-law Rinki Kol, is currently an Apna Dal (S) MLA from the Chhanbey constituency in Mirzapur.
Political observers believe the formation of a separate party by Kol could reshape the traditional caste-based voting patterns in the region, potentially affecting Apna Dal (S)’s electoral prospects.
Elected from Robertsganj in 2019 on an Apna Dal (S) ticket, Kol was denied a ticket in the 2024 general elections, as his daughter-in-law was fielded in the Assembly elections. The decision reportedly left him disgruntled and is seen as a factor behind his move to launch a separate political outfit.
Also Read: UP poll palette is riot of colours: From Akhilesh’s blue, to Rajbhar’s yellow & Nishad’s red
Divya Mittal enters fray
After officially launching the Jan Neeti Bharat party this month, former IAS officer Divya Mittal is reportedly eyeing the Mirzapur Sadar constituency. Ratnakar Mishra of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the incumbent legislator.
Though she quit civil service in August, Mittal enjoys a positive image of an able administrator courtesy her previous tenure as the Mirzapur district magistrate from September 2022 to September 2023.
What makes her entry a must-watch is her reported differences with none other than Anupriya Patel herself. Sources close to Mittal claim that Anupriya Patel and her husband, Uttar Pradesh minister Ashish Patel, played a role in her transfer from Mirzapur.
There is also speculation in political circles that Mittal could take on the Apna Dal (S) chief in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. A potential electoral contest between the two could add another dimension to the political rivalry in Mirzapur.
“Several officers have formed their own political parties in the past. The people of Mirzapur will give her the answer themselves,” Anupriya Patel had said without naming Mittal.
Amid these developments, the Apna Dal (S) has begun strengthening its organisational structure in the region, according to party sources.
A senior leader told ThePrint that the party is working to consolidate its presence from the booth level to the district level. Its leaders and workers are reaching out to voters across Mirzapur, with an emphasis on expanding the party’s visibility in both urban and rural areas, the leader said.
The party is also scheduled to hold an organisational meeting on 2 November, during which its preparations and strategy are likely to be discussed. In the previous Assembly elections, all five seats in Mirzapur district went to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). While the Apna Dal (S) won the Chhanbey (SC reserved) constituency, the Bharatiya Janata Party clinched Mirzapur Sadar, Majhawan, Chunar and Marihan seats.
(Edited by Tony Rai)