BJP's surprising poll strategy: brings forth four leaders in UP

Lucknow: Amid speculation of projecting a Chief Ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh in the next assembly elections, the BJP leadership, rather unexpectedly, has pitched forth four leaders who have been assigned the different regions of the state.

Surprisingly, the newly-appointed state Bharatiya Janata Party president Keshav Prasad Maurya is also included in the quartet suggesting he is treated at par with other three leaders namely Smiriti Irani, Mahesh Sharma and Swantra Dev Singh.

As per the understanding, these four will compete among themselves in order to be finally projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate on the basis of their performance in 2017 assembly polls in the state, the highly placed BJP sources said here on Wednesday.

Smiriti Irani

• She has been given responsibility of all important central region.
• This regions includes Lucknow, Rae Bareli and Amethi.
• She has quite been active in Amethi, the parliamentary constituency.
• There were rumours that she might be the CM candidate in UP from BJP.
• She is one of four leaders to take charge of the UP polls in their respective regions.

Mahesh Sharma

• The Union Minister Mahesh Sharma hails from Western UP.
• He is given charge of western Uttar Pradesh.
• He is supposed to be a vocal right wing leader.
• His political acumen will be used for polarisation of votes in the region.

Swantantar Dev Singh

• He has been entrusted with the charge of Bundelkhand.
• He was in the reckoning for the post of state BJP chief.
• He is a kurmi by caste.
• Swatantra Dev Singh comes from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad background.
• Party looks at him to catch on youths and Kurmi votes, second biggest vote chunk in the state after Yadavs.

Keshav Prasad Maurya

• The state BJP President has Vishwa Hindu Parishad background.
• Has been part of many VHP programmes along with heavyweight leader Ashok Singhal.
• Has won the last Lok Sabha election by a huge margin getting over five lakh votes.
• Comes from backward caste Kori and will try to rope in backward votes for the party.
• His position as state BJP chief will help the party in the region.
• He had already declared the paty's target of 265 plus seats in 2017 assembly polls.

Position of state chief not compromised

• A senior BJP functionary denies that this arrangement will compromise the position of state BJP President.
• He will remain what he is and all others will coordinate with him.
• It will not give rise to inner bickering rather will contain it.