Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) founder Krishna Patel meets Nitish

Apna Dal founder Krishna Patel met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday. Apna Dal was founded by Patel nearly three decades ago with a view to providing a separate platform to Kurmis.

Patna: Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) founder Krishna Patel on Monday called on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, recalling the latter's long association with her deceased husband Sone Lal Patel. Patel, whose daughter Pallavi had defeated BJP heavyweight and Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya in the assembly polls held earlier this year, met Kumar at his official residence.

"My husband had a long friendship with Nitish ji. His efforts at forging opposition unity are commendable though that was not on the agenda of our meeting," she later told reporters. Notably, Patel's estranged daughter Anupriya is an NDA ally and a Union minister. Apna Dal was founded by Patel nearly three decades ago with a view to providing a separate platform to Kurmis, a powerful OBC group.

After his death, Anupriya headed the party for some time before differences over giving a ticket to her husband in a by-poll caused a rift in the family, leading to a split in Apna Dal. Krishna Patel's meeting with Kumar comes in the backdrop of the buzz that the longest serving Bihar CM, who looks forward to playing a role in national politics, may contest the next Lok Sabha polls from the adjoining state.

JD(U) leaders in UP are of the view that Kumar should contest from the Kurmi-dominated seats of Phulpur, which was represented by Jawaharlal Nehru in his lifetime, and Mirzapur. (PTI)