Lucknow: Apna Dal (S) national president and Union minister Anupriya Patel on Thursday used the birth anniversary of party founder Dr Sone Lal Patel to signal the start of preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, calling on workers to strengthen the organisation from the village to the booth level.Addressing the ‘Jan Swabhiman Diwas’ programme held in Lucknow to commemorate Dr Patel’s birth anniversary, Anupriya said the party had grown into the third-largest political force in the state due to the commitment of its cadre and public support.She asked party workers to intensify grassroots activity and convert the “Har Ghar Jhanda Abhiyan” into a mass campaign in the run-up to 2027.Referring to Apna Dal (S)’s political trajectory, Anupriya said rivals had earlier dismissed the party as a “vote-cutter ”, but it had now established itself as a significant force with 13 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. She said the party was effectively raising public issues and expanding its footprint across the state.Reiterating the party’s stated ideological focus on social justice, Anupriya said Apna Dal (S) has consistently advocated for the rights of OBCs, Dalits, and deprived and marginalised communities.She reiterated key demands, including a nationwide caste census with separate enumeration of OBCs; creation of a dedicated Union ministry for OBC Welfare; raising the OBC creamy layer income limit from ₹8 lakh to ₹15 lakh per year; removal of anomalies in reservation-linked cut-offs in competitive exams; implementation of OBC reservation in the All India quota for NEET-PG and MBBS admissions; and stricter enforcement of reservation norms in the 69,000 teacher recruitment process and in outsourcing appointments.Anupriya said that even while being part of the ruling alliance, the party had not compromised on issues of social justice and would continue to fight for rights, dignity and representation for the most marginalised.The programme also featured a membership drive, with several personalities joining Apna Dal (S), including Brijesh Kashyap, former national vice-president of the Samajwadi Mazdoor Sabha and a leader linked to the Nishad, Kevat and Mallah communities; actor Gaurav Pratik of Mission Raniganj; and retired Cooperative Department general manager Ramrekh Verma.
