UP Polls: BJP holds Core committee meeting to discuss remaining candidates, CEC meet soon

New Delhi [India], January 24 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday held a marathon meeting of its core members to discuss the finalisation of remaining candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
According to the sources in the party, the Central Election Committee meeting is likely to be held soon.
The meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, election incharge Dharmendra Pradhan, Deputy CMs Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya along with BJP state president Swantantra Dev Singh apart from other core members.
So far, the BJP has announced 165 candidates for the state.
In the upcoming list, it would be interesting to see who does the party offer the ticket to from the Ayodhya and Lucknow Cantt seats.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was speculated to contest from the Ayodhya seat. With the party declaring that he will contest from Gorakhpur (Urban), the Ayodhya seat has become even more interesting. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is contesting from the Sirathu assembly constituency of Prayagraj district
Notably, Aparna Yadav, who recently left the Samajwadi Party and joined the BJP has reportedly asked for a ticket from the Lucknow Cantt seat. She had contested from the seat in 2017. Whereas, BJP MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi has offered to resign from her Parliamentary post for her son Mohit Joshi's candidature in the same constituency.
It is being said that other BJP leaders are also eyeing a ticket to contest from this constituency.
Elections to the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)