UP Assembly polls 2022: BJP set to release first list around Makar Sankranti

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, January 11

The ruling BJP is expected to announce its first list of candidates for the Uttar Pradesh elections around Makar Sankranti (January 14), even as BSP supremo Mayawati is yet to reveal her cards.

The BSP is expected to field quite a few Muslims, especially in segments where the community’s hold is strong. This will only work to the advantage of the BJP as the Opposition, including its chief rival Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the AIMIM, is also eyeing this crucial vote bloc.

The BSP has “finalised” names on the majority of seats and also “intimated the selected candidates”, sources say.

The BJP, which convened a meeting of its state election committee on Monday, held discussions on the first three phases of the elections, which will cover western UP, Rohilkhand, Braj and the Yadav-dominated belt of Etawah, Mainpuri and Bundelkhand.

The sources say the state unit forwarded feedback received from the grass-root level to the central leadership for final approval.

Though the BJP wants to announce a majority of candidates as soon as possible, there are some seats on which it needs to tread cautiously, especially the ones where key rival Samajwadi Party has an upper hand.

This is where the BSP and its vote share comes in.

The BSP has not allied with any party and is contesting all 403 seats alone. With a “declining” vote share projection, it is projected to win eight to 16 seats only. However, with a dedicated vote share, it has the potential to spoil the chances of many.

In 2007, the minority community had voted largely for the BSP. And in 2012, it had voted for the SP. In the last elections, the Muslim vote got split among the SP-Congress combine, the BSP and the Peace Party, benefiting the BJP.

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