Lucknow: The BJP unit of Uttar Pradesh may surprise in its selection of Rajya Sabha candidates regarding the speculation that a senior minister of the Yogi Adityanath cabinet may get a berth as a member of the Upper House. The poll for the Rajya Sabha is scheduled to take place on June 10.
The name of the veteran minister has been mentioned in the list of 20 probables, which the Saffron Party has sent to the central leadership.
Seeing the strength of the BJP in UP assembly, it is expected that the BJP-led NDA and SP and its allies look to win seven and three seats, respectively.
Political activity has been soaring in Lucknow for the 11th seat. The BJP is likely to field a Lucknow businessman to fight with SP candidates for the high-voltage contest. The businessman may be the eighth candidate for the BJP. He is the son of a late politician.
Sources said the BJP may also repeat some of its retiring MPs–Shiv Pratap Shukla, Zafar Islam, Jai Prakash Nishad, Surendra Nagar, and Sanjay Seth. The sources said it was certain that the party would prop up a prominent Brahmin leader as one of its candidates. It is, however, not certain if Shukla will be repeated or BJP will field former state unit chief Laxmi Kant Bajpai.
BJP is likely to field a Jat leader from west UP to win the favour of the community that played an incredible part in the party’s return to power for a second term. This becomes more important as the BJP seeks to counter SP‘s decision to field RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary. SP, experts said, picked Sibal, who played a major role in securing bail for senior leader Azam Khan in a move to consolidate Muslim votes along with Jats.
