Union Minister Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal, a crucial ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, has threatened to quit the National Democratic Alliance over being not heard by the BJP on issues that it had raised. In the 2014 national elections, the Apna Dal won two seats in east Uttar Pradesh - Mirzapur and Pratapgarh. The party split later, and Ms Patel's faction continued its alliance with the BJP.