CM Samrat Choudhary pays tribute to Apna Dal founder Dr. Sonelal Patel
Synopsis
Bihar CM and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary paid tribute to Apna Dal founder Dr. Sonelal Patel on his death anniversary, honouring his lifelong struggle for the rights of backward and marginalised communities in India.
Key Takeaways
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary offered a tribute to Dr.
Sonelal Patel on his death anniversary on 17 October 2026 .
Sonelal Patel founded Apna Dal in 1995 to champion the rights of OBCs, especially the Kurmi community of Uttar Pradesh.
Apna Dal has been a long-standing ally of the BJP in UP assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
CM Choudhary described Dr.
Patel's struggle for the 'deprived and exploited sections of society' as something that 'will always be remembered.' The tribute reflects the broader BJP-NDA practice of publicly honouring icons of allied caste-based regional parties to sustain coalition bonds.
On the death anniversary of Dr. Sonelal Patel, the man who built a political movement around the rights of Uttar Pradesh's backward and marginalised communities, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary offered his homage on Saturday, October 17, 2026 — a gesture that carries weight well beyond ceremonial courtesy.
Posting in Hindi, CM Choudhary wrote: 'अपना दल के संस्थापक डॉ. सोनेलाल पटेल जी की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि' — 'Humble tribute to Dr. Sonelal Patel, founder of Apna Dal, on his death anniversary.' He added that Dr. Patel's struggle and contribution for the rights of the deprived and exploited sections of society 'will always be remembered.'The man who founded Apna Dal for OBC rights
Dr. Sonelal Patel founded Apna Dal in 1995 with a clear mandate: to give political voice to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), particularly the Kurmi community of Uttar Pradesh, a group that had long felt underrepresented despite its numerical weight. His focus was not electoral arithmetic alone — it was a sustained campaign to ensure that deprived and exploited sections of Indian society could claim rights, not just votes. Apna Dal grew into a significant regional force, shaping assembly and Lok Sabha outcomes across Uttar Pradesh. The party's emphasis on OBC welfare made it a natural coalition partner for the BJP in a state where caste-community alliances frequently decide margins.Why a Bihar CM speaks for a UP party's founder
The tribute from a senior BJP leader and sitting Bihar Chief Minister is no accident. Indian coalition politics — especially in the Hindi heartland — runs on exactly this kind of sustained, public acknowledgement of allies' icons. Apna Dal has historically partnered with the BJP in UP contests, and maintaining warmth with its leadership and base requires visible gestures from across the NDA spectrum. For Samrat Choudhary, paying homage to Dr. Patel also signals a shared ideological commitment to OBC empowerment — a message that resonates in Bihar too, where backward-class constituencies are decisive. Dr. Patel's legacy endures wherever the conversation about OBC political representation is serious. His anniversary is a reminder that the architecture of India's ruling coalition was built, brick by brick, on precisely these grassroots mobilisations.Point of View
A Bihar CM paying homage to a UP party icon, the gesture also reinforces his own OBC-centric political identity at home. Dr. Sonelal Patel's 1995 mobilisation of Kurmi voters is a foundational chapter in how the BJP widened its backward-class appeal across the Hindi belt. Each anniversary renews that narrative, keeping the alliance warm without requiring a policy commitment.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Dr. Sonelal Patel?
Dr. Sonelal Patel was the founder of Apna Dal, a political party established in 1995 in Uttar Pradesh to represent the rights of OBC communities, particularly the Kurmi community, and other deprived and exploited sections of society.
What is Apna Dal and which party is it allied with?
Apna Dal is a regional political party founded in 1995 focused on Other Backward Classes in Uttar Pradesh. It has historically allied with the BJP as part of the NDA coalition in UP assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Why did Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary pay tribute to an Apna Dal leader?
As a senior BJP leader, CM Choudhary's tribute reflects the NDA's practice of honouring icons of its allied regional parties, reinforcing coalition bonds and acknowledging the OBC communities that Apna Dal represents.
What did Samrat Choudhary say about Dr. Sonelal Patel?
CM Choudhary offered 'humble tribute' to Dr. Patel and said his struggle and contribution for the rights of the 'deprived and exploited sections of society' will 'always be remembered.'
What community did Dr. Sonelal Patel champion?
Dr. Patel championed the rights of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) , especially the Kurmi community in Uttar Pradesh, along with other marginalised and exploited sections of Indian society.
