In UP, BJP doesn’t fidget with the math, retains all MPs but six

New Delhi, Mar 22: The BJP while releasing its first list of candidates dropped just 6 sitting MPs from Uttar Pradesh. This has come contrary to speculation that the BJP may drop most of its MPs from Uttar Pradesh for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The party has once again fielded Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi and Smriti Irani from Amethi.

The party has also decided to go with V K Singh and Mahesh Sharma once again. The other MPs who have been re-nominated include Hema Malini and Sakshi Maharaj.

The MPs to be dropped are Satyapal Saini, Krishna Raj, Ram Shankar Katheria, Anshul Verma, Anju Bala and Chaudhary Babulal.

They have been replaced by Parmeshwar Lal Saini in Sambhal, Arun Sagar in Shajahanpur (reserved), S P Singh Baghel, Agra, Jai Prakash Rawat, Ashok Rawatin Misirikh (reserved) and Rajkumar Singh, Fatepur Sikri.

Earlier it was speculated that the BJP would make major changes to its list in UP. The speculation came about following the tie up between the SP and BSP, a coalition that is expected to hurt the BJP's arithmetic in a state, which it had won handsomely in 2014.

UP sends 80 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha and in 2014, the BJP had won 73 seats.