UP elections: BJP core committee finalises 172 candidates; CEC to take final call

In a big development, sources revealed that BJP finalised its list of 172 candidates for the first three phases of the UP elections in its core committee meeting on Wednesday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJP's UP election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and other top leaders were a part of the deliberations at the party headquarters in the national capital. While 58 seats go to the polls in the first phase, 55 seats and 59 seats shall be up for grabs in the second phase and third phase respectively. 

These names will now come up for approval in the meeting of the party's Central Election Committee scheduled on Thursday. The members of this body include PM Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Jual Oram, MP CM Shivraj Chouhan, Bihar Minister Shahnawaz Hussain, BJP national secretary Vijaya Rahatkar and BJP national general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh. As per sources, the possible constituencies from which Adityanath can contest including Ayodhya came up in the BJP core committee meeting but the CEC will take the final call. 

Overall, it scrutinized candidates for more than 300 Assembly seats of the state. The saffron party might field new candidates on almost half of the 90 seats where it suffered a loss in the 2017 UP Assembly election, sources also indicated. Moreover, some sitting Ministers whose performance has not been satisfactory may be denied a ticket or be shifted to other constituencies. 

UP elections

The upcoming election shall be held in 7 phases, February 10, February 14, February 20, February 23, February 27, March 3 and March 7 whereas the counting of votes shall take place on March 10. With 15,05,82,750 registered voters on the electoral rolls, the polling stations have been increased to 1,74,351. In view of the COVID-19 situation, all physical rallies and roadshows have been banned until January 15 and the polling time has been increased by 1 hour. 

While Congress, AAP and BSP are going solo in the upcoming polls, Samajwadi Party has announced a tie-up with Shivpal Yadav's PSP(L), Mahan Dal, OP Rajbhar-led SBSP, RLD and the Apna Dal faction of Krishna Patel. Meanwhile, the JP Nadda-led party has joined hands with the Apna Dal and NISHAD party. Yogi Adityanath faces a tough challenge as no CM of UP has been able to win a second consecutive term since 1987. 

(With ANI inputs)