NDA to score hat-trick in UP, Apna Dal eyes 100% strike rate: Anupriya Patel

Chairing an organisational review meeting at party’s camp office in Lucknow, Patel said Apna Dal (S) remains a strong and reliable ally of the NDA. Preparations for the 2027 assembly polls, booth management and organisational strengthening were discussed in detail.

Apna Dal (S) chief and Union minister Anupriya Patel on Friday expressed confidence that the NDA would score a hat-trick in Uttar Pradesh in the 2027 assembly polls, while setting her party a target of a 100% strike rate in the seats it contests.

Anupriya Patel also cautioned party workers and the social media team to maintain linguistic decorum on public platforms. (File)

Chairing an organisational review meeting at party’s camp office in Lucknow, Patel said Apna Dal (S) remains a strong and reliable ally of the NDA. Preparations for the 2027 assembly polls, booth management and organisational strengthening were discussed in detail.

“Our goal is to form the NDA government again in UP in 2027. On every seat there will be an NDA candidate, whether the seat comes to Apna Dal’s account or any other ally. Our effort will be to ensure victory for the alliance candidate on every seat. For this, every worker of the party will work with full force on the ground,” Patel told media persons.

Criticising the Opposition for questioning the Election Commission, voter lists and the electoral process, Patel said it tried to blame institutions instead of introspecting after electoral defeats.

“If the electoral process is completely flawed, the Opposition should tell whose governments are running in Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh? When the Opposition wins in these states, the process becomes transparent, but when the NDA wins the people’s mandate, questions are raised. If the Opposition’s logic is correct, should the governments of all these states be dissolved?” she asked.

Patel said the Opposition had gained some electoral benefit in UP in 2024 by creating an atmosphere of “lies and confusion”, but claimed people had now understood its tactics and it would face defeat again in 2027.

She also cautioned party workers and the social media team to maintain linguistic decorum on public platforms.

Patel announced upcoming district workers’ conclaves in Mau on October 11, Pratapgarh on October 17, Lakhimpur Kheri on October 25 and Rampur on November 4 to expand the party’s base.

Skips question on Divya Mittal

When asked repeatedly about the challenge from former IAS officer Divya Mittal, who resigned on August 30 and indicated that she might contest from Mirzapur, Patel evaded a direct reply.

However, her husband Ashish Patel, who is also a minister in the state government, said: “In a democracy, everyone is free to contest an election from a place of their choice.”