Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: In the grand theater of political machinations, three major coalitions have emerged in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha Election in 2024. Beyond the familiar powerhouses of the BJP’s NDA and the Congress-SP’s INDIA, a novel alliance has now entered the scene—PDM (Pichchda, Dalit, Musalman) is poised to stake its claim.
The nascent alliance, consisting of Samajwadi Party’s associate Apna Dal Kamaravadi (ADK) leader Pallavi Patel and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, has disclosed its initial list for seven parliamentary seats in the state. Both factions converge to contest these seats in unison, presenting a cohesive front in the forthcoming electoral contest.
As speculation swirls around Priyanka Gandhi’s potential candidacy in Rae Bareli representing the INDIA bloc, PDM has countered by nominating a Muslim candidate for the constituency. This maneuver could potentially complicate matters for the Congress contender.
In the first roster of PDM candidates, notable names include Subhash Patel from Bareilly, Jaiveer Singh Dhangar from Hathras, advocate Prem Dutt Baghel from Firozabad, Hafiz Mohammad Mobeen from Rae Bareli, Ramkrishna Pal from Fatehpur, Premchand Bind from Bhadohi, and Jawahar Bind from Chandauli. This roster was divulged by Mohammad Ashiq, the office secretary of PDM.
On Friday, the PDM convened its inaugural meeting in Lucknow, with Pallavi Patel at the helm and AIMIM representatives in attendance. The gathering spanned several hours and involved a thorough discussion on candidates for all 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Ajay Patel, a PDM National Executive Member, stated that the alliance is approaching the elections with utmost seriousness and that additional candidate selections will be forthcoming in due course.
The nomination process for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections commenced on April 12, encompassing 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh—Hathras, Sambhal, Etah, Mainpuri, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Badaun, Amla, and Bareilly. Nominations will close on April 19, with voting scheduled for May 7.