Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday announced its first list of candidates for upcoming Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand election. Senior leader JP Nadda announced 149 candidate for Uttar Pradesh, 64 for Uttarakhand elections. The list for Uttar Pradesh only named those who will be contesting in first two phases.
Former Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Laxmikant Vajpayee, grandson of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and the party’s national secretary Shrikant Sharma are among the 149 candidates. Vajpayee has been fielded from Meerut, from where he is the sitting MLA, Singh’s grandson Sandeep Singh and Sharma will make their maiden entry in electoral fray from Atrauli and Mathura respectively.
Releasing the list, the party’s Central Election Committee’s Secretary J P Nadda said it has accommodated various sections of society. The CEC had met last night to finalise candidates.
It has retained sitting MLAs, including Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana, both accused in Muzaffarnagar riot cases, dismissed as a conspiracy by them, in the list.
However, mystery remained over the fate of Union Home Minister and UP heavyweight Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh whose name did not figure in the list.
The list was finalised by party’s Central Election Committee. “The CEC meet was attended by PM Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance and other members of the Central Election Committee of the BJP,” a press release issued by BJP said. The party has also rolled out the 2nd list for Punjab polls.
With agency inputs
