The Bhartiya Janata Party released the fourth list of nine candidates on Monday taking the total number of candidates declared so far to 379.
The BJP gave preference to caste combinations in deciding candidates and also fielded two new comers, one of them being Shobha Singh, candidate from Bikapur in Faizabad.
She is the wife of firebrand Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) leader Munna Singh Chauhan and joined the BJP after her husband’s death. Munna Singh had died of dengue.
“She is a green horn in politics but will cash on popularity of Munna Singh Chauhan. She is bound to get sympathy votes,” a BJP leader said.
Another turncoat Sushil Singh - nephew of mafia don Brijesh Singh, who is an independent MlA had joined the BJP in 2014 and he has been given ticket from Saidraja.
Among other candidates, the party has taken care of prevailing caste in deciding candidates for the elections. Dedicated party workers like Sadhna Singh from Mughalsarai has been given preference.
The list includes: Shobha Singh (Bikapur), Anand Shukla (Ballia), Surendra Singh (Bairia), Sadhna Singh (Mughalsarai), Suryabhan Tiwari (Sakaldiha), Sushil Singh (saidraja), Ravindra Tiwari (Bhadohi), Mahendra Bind (Gyanpur) and Ram Shankar Patel (Marihan).
Meanwhile, there were reports from Varanasi that BJP workers staged protests demanding to change the candidate from Varanasi Cantonmnet. The party has replaced seven-time legislator Shyamdeo Roy Choudhry with a green horn, which angered the party cadre.