UP assembly bypolls: CM Yogi holds meeting as party mulls names, high voltage campaign

Lucknow: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership is busy considering names of possible candidates for the eight assembly seats in the state, bypolls to which are likely to be held soon.

The party is also planning a ‘high voltage’ campaign in these by-poll seats with chief minister Yogi Adityanath expected to be the lead campaigner along with other ministers and BJP functionaries, party leaders said.

On Sunday, CM Yogi held a meeting with state BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh at the former’s residence after which ministers were tasked with responsibility for seats due for by-polls.

“As soon as the by-polls are announced, the chief minister would be canvassing for party in all 8 seats,” a BJP leader said, adding that several ministers would also campaign for the party.

“It would be a high voltage campaign,” the party leader said, adding that no decision had yet been taken on conceding ally Nishad Party’s demand to let it contest the Jaunpur seat as part of an alliance.

Moreover, in a departure from its usual policy of not contesting by-polls, the Bahujan Samaj Party has decided to field candidates this time.

The Congress too is holding meetings to finalise candidates as this would be the first electoral exercise in Uttar Pradesh after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had been given full-fledged responsibility of the state.

The main opposition Samajwadi Party, which held two of the eight by-poll seats – Malhani in Jaunpur and Suar in Rampur - is also desperate to make an impression in these mini-polls.

Of the two seats, the BJP is eyeing Suar seat which is considered a bastion of Samajwadi Party’s Rampur MP Azam Khan.