Mission 2022: Who is Anupriya Patel? One of the seven women to join PM Modi's new team

New Delhi, July 07: Diversifying the administration, the centre in its union cabinet expansion on Wednesday announced the induction of seven women MPs including from BJP's UP ally Apna Dal into the council of ministers.

Ahead of 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, BJP ally Apna Dal (S)'s national president Anupriya Patel on Wednesday was inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's council of minister as the Centre underwent a major reshuffle, a first since the PM's second term. The aim is purportedly to bring fresh leadership at the central and state levels.

Anupriya Patel, who hails from the Kurmi community, has been a minister in the first government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is an MP from Mirzapur. She is the daughter of late Dr. Soney Lal Patel, who was president of Apna Dal. She is educated at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University and Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. She has a master's degrees in Psychology and also Masters in Business Administration (MBA), and has taught at Amity.

The 40-year-old is serving her second term as a Lok Sabha member and has earlier served as the Union Minister of State for Health during the first term of the NDA government.

Political career

She began her political career with the Apna Dal, a party formed in 1995 by her father, late Sonelal Patel, a popular leader among Kurmis, a backward caste with a presence in eastern UP and Bundelkhand.

In the 2014 general election, Patel's party campaigned in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Narendra Modi. She was elected as Member of Parliament from Mirzapur constituency. After the election, there were rumours that the two parties would merge but Patel rejected overtures intended to result in that.

She has now devoted her time demanding a separate ministry be formed to solve the problems being faced by the other backward classes (OBC).

Addressing her party workers on the 72nd birth anniversary of Apna Dal founder Sonelal Patel four days ago, she said,'We have demanded the formation of a ministry for OBC on the lines of the Ministry of Minorities to solve the problems of the backward classes.' She also demanded the setting up of a national memorial in Delhi for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.