Now, BJP faces trouble in Uttar Pradesh; ally Apna Dal lauds Mayawati

After Bihar, trouble seems brewing up for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh as its key coalition partner, Apna Dal has criticised it for using allies like potato sacks and heaped praises on rival Mayawati for doing good work on law and order front when her government was in power.

About a week ago, in Bihar, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RSLP) chief Upendra Kushwaha had walked out of NDA and joined UPA after the BJP not ceded to his demand for six seats in Bihar for 2019 poll.

Criticising BJP's "big brother" attitude, Ashish Patel, national president of Apna Dal, said, "We have been reduced to potato sacks. We are not even invited at government functions or at the launch of Central health schemes. The scenario was different when we joined the coalition in 2014."

Hinting that it would be up for a hard bargain for seat sharing in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Patel also praised BSP supremo Mayawati.

"The law and order situation was better off in Mayawati-led regime between 2007 and 2012," added Patel.

In the 402 seat UP assembly, Apna Dal has 9 MLAs and two MPs, including minister of state for health, Anupriya Patel, in the 80 Lok Sabha seats.

The Apna Dal chief also claimed that his wife Anupriya Patel is no being given importance in the Modi government as a minister and not invited at inaugurations of government functions.

At least 300 appointments were made to state boards, corporations and committees, but none has any representation from Apna Dal, he added.

"Only two out of 800 advocates appointed by the Yogi government are from other backward classes. If this is not discrimination, what is," he asked.

Trouble In Bihar Grand Alliance Too

• A constituent of opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar-Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM)- threatened to boycott LS polls next year if it did not get a sizeable number of seats. 
• HAM is headed by former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, who quit NDA to join RJD-Congress led grand alliance in Bihar