Rajnath's son in the 317 BJP list for UP

Lucknow, Mar 15 (UNI) The BJP has released a list of 317 candidates for the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh which includes Pankaj Singh, son of party chief Rajnath Singh and almost 100 new faces.

However, Mr Pankaj Singh has declined to contest.

Despite all sitting members except 20 -- who had cross voted against the party in assembly -- getting the nod, the Central Election Committee of the BJP preferred youth as party candidates for the politically most important state.

Many prominent leaders like UP BJP president Keshri Nath Tripathi (Allahabad South) and BJP legislature party leader Lalji Tandon (Lucknow West) figure in the list.

However, the list released by the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) invoked workers' resentment at many places.

Gorakhpur MP of BJP Yogi Aditya Nath, in fact, became the first casualty. A peeved Yogi later resigned from the party's national executive after his recommendees for the BJP ticket were ingnored by, highly placed BJP sources told UNI.

Party workers in Kanpur and some other places indulged in high-pitched protests on being denied the ticket. ''Such minor things do take place when the candidates' list is announced,'' a BJP spokesperson said here.

BJP workers in Kanpur, visibly annoyed with the party ticket to Harish Matreja from Arya Nagar, damaged property in the party office here today. They alleged ''devoted party workers'' were ignored in ticket selection.

The election committee comprised of top BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu and Murli Manohar Joshi.

According to sources, having firmed up an understanding with Apna Dal and Janata Dal (United), BJP will contest 353 constituencies, out of a total of 403 seats -- leaving the rest to its allies.

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