BJP Shortlists 209 Candidates For Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections, Sends List To Delhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party has so far shortlisted 209 candidates for next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and forwarded their names to Delhi for clearance by the party's central leadership.

Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly constituencies, and the BJP is seeking a third consecutive term. The party is eyeing more than 300 seats, according to IndiaTV. The list was moved from Lucknow after Diwali, while the party steps up ground-level activity across the state.

Once the list gets final approval, the candidates are expected to have enough time to campaign in their constituencies.

Candidate Shortlisting

The shortlist was drawn up after consultations with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The 209 names have been placed in the party's "A" category and are waiting for clearance from the top leadership in Delhi.

The names have already been sent from Lucknow to Delhi, and the next step is formal clearance from the central leadership.

Once approved, the candidates are likely to be formally cleared to begin electioneering in their seats. The early selection exercise is meant to give them enough time to connect with voters and build a stronger presence on the ground.

INDIA Bloc Formula

On the opposition side, the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing formula in Uttar Pradesh was finalised earlier in October, according to PTI.

Lok Sabha MP from Salempur Ramashankar Rajbhar 'Vidyarthi' told reporters, in remarks reported by PTI, "Our formula is set. It is a single, unified formula -- one designed to ensure victory for the INDIA bloc."

He added, "The Samajwadi Party will contest the seats it is capable of winning, and the Congress will contest the seats where it has a strong chance of victory. In this election, the specific number of seats does not matter; what matters is winning." He also claimed, according to PTI, that the Samajwadi Party's election manifesto would be released on November 26.

Women Voter Pitch

Adityanath signalled a possible women-focused push on Sunday, November 8, during his visit to Ayodhya. He said, "We are bringing a good package for them,"

He said the proposed measures would help women become self-reliant, stand on their own feet, support their families and provide quality education to their children.

The remarks have triggered speculation that the Uttar Pradesh government may bring a women-centric welfare scheme. Livemint compared the possibility with initiatives launched in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states.

SIR Row Escalates

Adityanath sharpened his attack on Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in an interview with a Hindi news channel. He claimed Yadav would no longer demand the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

He alleged that the exercise led to a 1.63% increase in the share of Muslim voters. He also alleged that 1.27 crore Hindu voters had been removed from the electoral rolls.

Adityanath said a complaint had been filed with the Election Commission. He added that Yadav would not oppose the SIR exercise.