BJP to play it safe, to rope in Maneka

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

LUCKNOW, JANUARY 7: Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Kalraj Mishra today announced that his party would have seat adjustments with Maneka Gandhi’s Shakti Dal.

Talks were on with Maneka and a final decision was expected by January 12 when the two-day meeting of the state Election Committee would commence, Mishra said.

In an informal chat with mediapersons, Mishra said that talks with other allies— the Loktantrik Congress, Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, the Kisan Mazdoor Bahujan Party, Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Samata Party and Sharad Yadav’s Janata Dal(U) — were also in the final stages.

The BJP leader said that the first list of candidates for the state Assembly elections would now be announced in Delhi on January 16, the day the poll notification is scheduled.

At its meeting on January 12-13, the State Election committee will finalise the candidates’ list and send it for the high command’s approval. Earlier it was announced that the election committee would finalise the list of candidates today.

According to party sources, the date of issuing the first list of candidates was postponed to January 16 on astrologers’ advice.

The party also needed time to change some of the candidates after going through the Samajwadi Party list issued on Friday last. Mishra said his party leaders would also campaign in the constituencies allocated to the allies' candidates.

In addition to Central leaders, Chief Minister Rajnath Singh, Lalji Tandon, Om Prakash Singh, Harish Chandra Shrivastava, Vinay Katiyar, Rajendra Gupta and Satyadeo Singh will try to cover all the 403 constituencies in the state, Mishra said.