Swami Prasad Maurya’s exit is believed to have been the main issue discussed at BJP’s high-level meeting in Delhi to discuss strategy for the polls and candidate names.
Switchovers and heated remarks are at a high in the poll-bound state of Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is facing a direct challenge from the Samajwadi Party. State Cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya’s exit from the party is believed to have been the main issue discussed at the high-level meeting in Delhi to discuss strategy for the polls and candidate names, which was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday.
The BJP is expected to not give tickets to at least 60 of its sitting MLAs in the state, where its attempts to woo the backward community have suffered a major setback in the recent days at the hands of the Samajwadi Party. While pre-poll surveys have predicted a victory for the BJP in the state, they have also forecasted a close contest with Akhilesh Yadav’s party.
The BJP is likely to announce its list of 180 candidates for polls across five states by January 15. It will interesting to see the selection of the candidates in Uttar Pradesh, particularly the western part, given the recent remarks by the party’s top leadership in the state.