Our focus is to get winnable seats during talks with BJP, says Apna Dal-S leader Ashish Patel

By Payal Mehta
New Delhi [India], January 18 (ANI): Ahead of crucial seat-sharing talks with BJP in Uttar Pradesh, working president of Apna Dal (Sonelal) Ashish Patel has said that their focus is to get "winnable seats".
"Our complete focus is to get seats that are winnable. This is our priority," Patel told ANI.
The talks, possibly the last before an announcement is made on seat sharing in the alliance, are likely to be held on Tuesday night.
"You know Minister Anupriya Patel's party is likely to seek at least those tickets on which they were victorious in the last assembly polls. Some of these seats include Pratapgarh Sadar, Vishvnathganj, Shohratgarh, Sevapuri, Chhanbey, Soraon, Jahanabad," he said.
The Apna Dal (S) is in alliance with the BJP and Anupriya Patel is the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.
"We want to ensure that we are able to register ourselves as a state party," Ashish Patel said.
He said the party has given a list of 36 seats to the BJP. In the last assembly elections, Apna Dal contested 11 seats in alliance with BJP and won nine.
Party MLA Jai Kumar Singh is a minister in the Yogi Adiyanath government. Anupriya Patel's husband Ashish Patel is an MLC in the state.
Elections to the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)