This comes in the backdrop of the BJP witnessing an exodus ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections with Dharam Singh Saini being the latest minister to resign from BJP
File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ANI
BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) held a meeting on Thursday chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to finalize the names of the candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
The prime minister attended the meeting virtually. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, UP BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh and Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma also attended the meet.
According to a report by ANI, the meeting was held at the party headquarters in the National Capital.
As per NDTV, candidates for 172 seats were discussed for Uttar Pradesh elections.
Adityanath is likely to contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Ayodhya and his name could appear on the first list to be released by the party soon.
This comes in the backdrop of the BJP witnessing an exodus ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections with Dharam Singh Saini being the latest minister to resign from BJP.
Amid resignations, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday said that a very fruitful session was held regarding candidates on 172 Assembly seats of the state in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP’s) Central Election Committee meeting in Delhi today, as per ANI.
Addressing a press conference here, Maurya said, “In BJP’s Central Election Committee meeting today, a very fruitful discussion was held regarding candidates on 172 Assembly seats (in Uttar Pradesh).” “We are hopeful of registering a glorious victory in the 2022 Assembly elections,” Maurya added.
Slew of resignationss
The BJP received the first jolt on Monday when OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the Yogi Adityanath cabinet.
As per India Today, on Thursday Dharam Singh Saini returned the security cover and residence allotted to him by the state government, which set off speculation that he was going to quit the BJP. This is the eight such exit from the BJP in the past three days.
Saini, a backward class leader, is the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ayush, Food Security and Drug Administration. He is a four-time legislator from Nakud in Saharanpur and joined the BJP in 2016. He was earlier with the Samajwadi Party. Saini is said to be a close aide of Swami Prasad Maurya, who resigned on Monday and seemingly triggered the exodus from the BJP. Interesingly, Saini, on Tuesday had said he would not quit the saffron party.
Saini then met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav who took to Twitter to post: “I welcome him to the Samajwadi Party”. Earlier on Thursday, another BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh, Mukesh Verma, resigned from the party.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Behat (Saharanpur) Naresh Saini, Sirsaganj (Firozabad) MLA Hari Om Yadav, and former Samajwadi Party MLA Dr Dharmpal Singh on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, ANI said in a report.
The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly polls to be held between 10 February and 7 March. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 February and 3 March. The counting of votes will take place on 10 March.
In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide victory winning 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 percent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats.
With inputs from agencies
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