Apna Dal reaffirms alliance with BJP, gets 2 seats to contest

Putting an end to all speculations, Apna Dal has entered into an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Lok Sabha elections 2019 and will be contesting on two seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Before the announcement, Apna Dal (S) leader and union minister Anupriya Patel met with BJP president Amit Shah and finalised the seat sharing arrangement.

Post discussion, Apna Dal was given the Mirzapur seat to contest, where most likely Anupriya Patel may contest from. The name of other seat is yet to be decided.

Since last month there were many variations in the statements of Apna Dal leaders signalling that not everything was alright between the two political parties.

On February 22, Apna Dal (S) convener and minister of state in Modi cabinet Anupriya Patel had said that her party will now be free to choose its own path as the BJP leadership was not displaying any interest in resolving her party's issues.

However hours later, Ashish Patel, National President of Apna Dal stated that the party is very much part of NDA as of now and the future course will be decided by the end of February after a meeting of party office bearers.

Later amidst tension in ties with the BJP, Apna Dal (S), had called a meeting of all its state and national leaders in Lucknow on February 28.

Apna Dal joined NDA before 2014 elections. The party contested 2014 general elections alongside the BJP. Together, they won 73 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats.