UP Assembly Elections 2022: 'Muslims not untouchable in Apna Dal' : Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel

Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel on Monday said, that her party is dissociated from  'Hindutva and all those issues' and also said that it is ideologically different from the BJP.  She also ensured that the Muslims are not untouchable for her party, "Yes we are ideologically different from the BJP. People are trying to ask me questions on Hindutva and all those issues, I dissociate myself from all those issues and my party doesn't do religious politics. We stand for social justice. That's our ideology," she said. 

"We have always worked for the marginalized sections of society, whether on the streets or in parliament. And this is our philosophy and our founding principles and we only stick to it," she added. 

The BJP alliance Apna Dal has announced its first Muslim candidate this time. The grandson of Congress veteran Begum Noor Bano, Haider Ali was the candidate announced by the Apna Dal (S). He will be contesting against senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan's son Abdullah Azam Khan from Suar. Talking on the same Patel said "I don't know why everybody is looking at a candidate from the perspective of religion. He is a promising youth who is well educated."

"The first MLA from my party when the founder of my party Sonelal Patel was alive was a Muslim who won the Pratapgarh Sadar constituency and his name was Haji Munnah. Many Muslims have been state presidents of the Apna Dal. So for my party Muslims are not untouchables and I don't look at candidates in light of their religion," Patel added. 

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India announced the voting dates for the Assembly polls of Uttar Pradesh. The UP will hold elections in  7 phases to elect 403 members of the Legislative Assembly in the state. The seven-phase election in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7.