Pallavi Patel, 43, the Apna Dal (K) leader and the Samajwadi Party’s Sirathu (Kaushambi) MLA was the one who first created a flutter in the SP camp over the Rajya Sabha polls by saying that she will abstain from voting.
On February 13, the day three SP candidates—Jaya Bachchan (upper caste), former UP chief secretary Alok Ranjan (upper caste) and Ramji Lal Suman (a Dalit)—filed their nominations, Pallavi Patel without mincing words said she will abstain from voting for the SP had violated its much publicised PDA (backwards, Dalit, minorities) formula for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
She had said that the party fielded an actor and ex-administrator bypassing real politicians from the non-Yadav OBC (other backward classes) or Muslims. Later, she amended her stance without compromising on her PDA stand. “I will vote only for the PDA candidate,” she had said which meant that she would vote for only one PDA candidate among the three i.e. Ramji Lal Suman.
She skipped all SP meetings held over the RS polls and on Tuesday morning—the voting day—she had a telephonic conversation with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. There were ‘some hot talks’ between the two, claimed Pallavi camp. “I don’t need your vote in the RS polls,” a source quoted Akhilesh as saying in the telephonic conversation with Pallavi.
{{/usCountry}}She skipped all SP meetings held over the RS polls and on Tuesday morning—the voting day—she had a telephonic conversation with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. There were ‘some hot talks’ between the two, claimed Pallavi camp. “I don’t need your vote in the RS polls,” a source quoted Akhilesh as saying in the telephonic conversation with Pallavi.
{{/usCountry}}There was a lot of suspense till she turned up for voting. Flanked by some SP MLAs, including Sangram Singh Yadav, Pallavi came out of the voting area smiling after casting her vote. Talking to reporters, she said: “I voted only for the PDA candidate (of SP) as I had said. I am not among those who betray. I openly voted for SP PDA candidate Ramji Lal Suman. PDA is my soul and life. My struggle is for PDA.”
When asked about ‘hot talks’ with Akhilesh, Pallavi said: “I attain what’s right by fighting. I have a right over him. I can fight with him.”
Later in a post on her X account, she said: “Heartiest congratulations to Ramji Lal Suman, the symbol of ‘actual PDA’, for his victory in the RS polls. Thanks to chief minister Yogi Adityanath for getting the elections done in violence-free, transparent and cordial manner”. She also tagged Akhilesh Yadav to the post.
Now, it is being speculated that the SP might field Pallavi’s mother and Apna Dal (K) chief Krishna Patel for the UP Legislative Council polls next month.