The party plans to keep aside over 50 seats for its allies, the Janata Dal(U) and Apna Dal.

No effort was made to present a challenge to the Samajwadi Party’s Muslim vote bank as the party decided to field only one Muslim candidate—from Rae Bareli.

It was unanimously decided during a party meeting here that Kalyan Singh would be the chief ministerial candidate, and unlike in the past, his name would be announced before the elections. Tickets will also been given to the party’s UP unit president Kesri Nath Tripathi and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Lalji Tandon.

The big news was the decision to field Pankaj Singh, son of party president Rajnath Singh, from Chiriya village in Chandauli district. However, soon after the meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee, Pankaj told The Indian Express that he had decided not to stand for elections. “I am grateful to my party for selecting me as a candidate, but have decided not to contest. Instead I will devote myself to organisational work. This is my personal decision.”

Party sources said the suggestion to field Pankaj came from the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit and was supported by the party’s top leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani at the meeting of the Central Election Committee. Even though few expected the proposal to be rejected, a BJP leader said that the party’s formal position while endorsing Pankaj’s candidature was that he would help in boosting the electoral prospects of other candidates from the area. Chiriya in eastern Uttar Pradesh falls within the home turf of Rajnath Singh.

Late on Wednesday, following the five-and-a-half hour meeting, it was still unclear whether Pankaj would be persuaded to stand for the elections, especially after he had received the backing of both of Vajpayee and Advani.

Meanwhile, all sitting MLAs—save some defectors—have been accommodated in the party list, said party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Among them were Kalyan Singh’s son Rajbir and his wife.

Party sources said about 35 seats, mostly in eastern Uttar Pradesh and a few in central areas of the state had been kept aside for the Apna Dal, while about 15 seats had been earmarked for the JD(U). The announcement of 316 seats had been made keeping in mind the preferences of the allies, party sources said.

In keeping with the party’s plans, more than a third of the candidates are youth leaders and were being given the party ticket in an effort to infuse new energy into the party organisation. More than 100 of the candidates are first timers, while women candidates will be fielded in over 20 seats.