Apna Dal (K) forms alliance Congress in UP for Lok Sabha elections 2019; gets 2 seats

LUCKNOW: Apna Dal’s Krishna Patel (K) faction formed an alliance with the Congress party for Pilihibit and Gonda Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. 

Soon after finalisation of the seat-sharing deal, Krishna Patel`s son-in-law Pankaj Niranjan Singh Chandel joined the Congress. He was welcomed by its Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

INC & Apna Dal have entered into an alliance in UP. Congress President @RahulGandhi & GS I/C UP East & West Smt. @priyankagandhi & Shri @JM_Scindia welcome Shri Pankaj Niranjan Singh Chandel to the UPA. pic.twitter.com/ObI90Prq4J

— Congress (@INCIndia) March 16, 2019

The Apna Dal (K) is led by its founder Sone Lal Patel`s widow, Krishna Patel.

The development comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) entered joined hands with the Apna Dal's Sone Lal faction led by Anupriya Patel, a Union Minister in the Narendra Modi government. Patel will contest from Mirzapur Constituency.

The Apna Dal was founded by Sone Lal Patel, who died in a car crash in 2009. The party later split into two factions between his widow Krishna Patel and elder daughter Anupriya Patel.