LUCKNOW: Even as INDIA bloc leaders were holding a massive rally to give the message of opposition unity from Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, two components of the opposition bloc announced that they were walking out of the alliance in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.Those who left the opposition bloc on Sunday included former SP MLC Swami Prasad Maurya and SP ally Apna Dal (K), led by Krishna Patel, widow of prominent OBC leader Sonelal Patel. Apna Dal (K) vice-president Pallavi Patel announced her party’s tie-up with Asaduddin Owasi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in UP. Pallavi Patel also named her alliance as PDM (Pichchhda, Dalit and Musalman) Nyay Morcha, a modified form of Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA (Pichchda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak).Consequently, the INDIA bloc is left with just the Congress and Samajwadi Party in UP. However, the seat of Bhadohi has been spared for Congress turncoat Lalitesh Pati Tripathi who will contest on the TMC ticket.In 2022, the SP had arranged a bouquet of caste and region- based groups roping in the SBSP, RLD, Apna Dal (K), Janwadi Party, Mahan Dal and Azad Samaj Party of Chandrashekar Azad. The SP had reaped the benefit of that umbrella alliance and took its tally from 47 to 111 seats in the UP Assembly.However, the main opposition party failed to keep the flock together. Immediately after the UP Assembly elections, differences between the SP and its allies started cropping up. The first one to leave the umbrella alliance was OP Rajbhar followed by Jayant Chaudhury, Keshavdev Muarya of Mahan Dal, Sanjay Chauhan of Janwadi Party and Krishna Patel of Apna Dal (K).Notably, Pallavi Patel of Apna Dal (K) is an MLA from Sirathu seat in Kaushambi on SP ticket. Reacting to her party’s tie-up with AIMIM in UP, SP national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhury sought her resignation as Sirathu MLA before charting her own course with an other ally.
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