Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 9 (IANS): Blood is finally proving to be thicker than water in the elections.

Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel has refused to field a candidate against her estranged mother and chief of Apna Dal (Kameravadi) Krishna Patel, who is contesting from Pratapgarh Sadar Assembly seat.

The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) on Tuesday fielded its candidate Rajendra Kumar from the seat and he filed his nomination on Tuesday.

Apna Dal (S) district president in Pratapgarh, Brijesh Kumar Patel said, "Apna Dal (S) refused to field party's candidate against Krishna Patel as a mark of respect and gratitude towards her."

He added that the BJP had offered Pratapgarh Sadar seat to its alliance partner Apna Dal (S) under seat-sharing formula and when Apna Dal(S) chief came to know that her mother Krishna Patel was filing her nomination from this seat, Anupriya Patel decided to take back its candidate and offered the seat back to BJP.

Relations between Anupriya Patel and her mother Krishna Patel have been strained since the past few years and it is because of this that the Apna Dal split into two -- one headed by Anupriya Patel and the other by her mother.