UP CM Yogi Adityanath likely to contest from Ayodhya

New Delhi, Jan 12: The BJP top brass is reportedly considering fielding Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Ayodhya in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.

Sources in the party have informed news agency ANI that candidates for 175 assembly seats have been finalised on the second day of the three-day meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party Core Committee.

His name is likely to be announced in the first list of candidates which will be expected to be out soon.
Party sources say that Ayodhya ticks many boxes as the ongoing construction of the Ram temple has boosted its political profile for the BJP.

The town falls in the Awadh region, where Samajwadi Party has been traditionally strong, and if Adityanath is fielded from there, then it may boost the Hindutva plan in the area, including parts of the neighbouring Poorvanchal, PTI sources said.

The chief minister and other senior party leaders from the state, including two deputy chief ministers and its state unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh, have been holding consultations with the central leadership in the national capital for the last two days.

It has to be noted that Ayodhya seat is currently represented by BJP's Ved Prakash Gupta in the assembly.

The Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.