The political activities have begun in Uttar Pradesh with all major political parties are working overtime to select candidates for the crucial urban local body elections. These elections are more crucial for the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as this will test the popularity of the government.
In the past elections, while BJP had fielded candidates under the party symbol, other parties refrained from use their own symbols. This time all parties including Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party, Congress, Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are contesting on party symbol.
With the nomination process already commenced, pressure is on the parties to release the names of their candidates.
While the BJP is ready with its first list and could announce the names by Monday, the principal opposition Samajwadi Party released mayoral candidates of few cities. In BSP Mayawati is scrutinising the list of probables. Names of BSP candidates are likely to be announced in districts an official announcement in this regard is not likely.
UP Congress president Raj Babbar, too, is holding meeting with senior leaders to finalise the names of the candidates. Congress is expected to give ticket to senior leaders for mayoral elections in 16 municipal corporations, including former Union minister Pradeep Jain Aditya from Jhansi and former legislator Anugurah Narain Singh from Allahabad.
Congress spokesperson Amarnath Agarwal, said the party will show its strength in the elections this time. Performance of Congress in this election will form the foirm ground for the 2019 general elections,” Agarwal said.
Samajwadi Party and Congress had jointly contested in the last assembly elections, but they are going it alone in the local body elections.
The ruling BJP seemed to be the hot favourite among aspirants in the municipal elections as more than 500 applicants were seeking the party ticket for mayor’s seat in 16 municipal elections. Besides, on average there were 50 people seeking BJP ticket in each ward, a party leader disclosed.
The state BJP president, Mahendra Nath Pandey said that the screening committee is working on it and the list of candidates could be announced by Monday. “Winnability and clean image is the criteria for selection of candidates for the party,” he pointed out.
Aam Admi Party(AAP), which had already announced candidates in some of the seats in lucknow, would be releasing its official list on Monday in the state capital.