Majority of BJP leaders and 312 MLAs believe PM Modi and national president Amit Shah have made a selection
Has the national leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) already decided on who should be the UP Chief Minister? As the party's legislature party meets here on Saturday (today), a majority of leaders and 312 MLAs say that the selection has already been made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP National President Amit Shah, with the consent of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The MLAs will only have to stamp their approval on that name, they feel.
One senior state BJP leader confided to DNA that the name of the leader has already been finalised, but refused to disclose the name.
A majority of party leaders are betting on Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railways. "He is, no doubt, an able administrator with a clean image and proven track record. The only thing going against him is that he is not a member of either House in the state and the PM may not like to lose a precious Lok Sabha member when there are a few other leaders who can be the chief minister," said a party leader.
The BJP has already issued a whip asking all MLAs to attend the meeting. MLAs of Apna Dal and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), the two alliance partners, have also been asked to be in Lucknow. The two have nine and four MLAs, respectively.
Party General Secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak, however, denied that the party has already decided on a name. "As per the party constitution, the leader would be decided by the MLAs. We don't go by media speculation, we adhere to our traditions," he said.
A few legislators are also speculating the name of Suresh Kumar Khanna, the eight-time MLA from Shahjahanpur district. "He may emerge as a dark horse. He is a senior party legislator with a vast experience in assembly affairs," says a party MLA from Bareilly.
Other names being speculated were those of Dr Dinesh Sharma, party national vice-president and Lucknow Mayor, and Satish Mahana, a senior legislator from Kanpur. Names of party state president Keshav Prasad Maurya and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh did not figure much after Amit Shah almost ruled out their names.
There are also certain influential leaders vying for the top post. Party MP Mahant Yogi Adityanath is on top of the list. Supporters of the firebrand MP from Gorakhpur have been batting for him for the past one year. Several campaigns and poster wars to make Yogi the CM were launched by them on Facebook and Twitter accounts. Yogi was, however, cut down to size during ticket distribution when many of his supporters were denied tickets in eastern UP.
Supporters of Rajnath Singh are still hoping against hope that the former Chief Minister was still in race. But Rajnath's reluctance has disappointed them. They are now batting for a cabinet berth to his son Pankaj Singh, a first-timer.
A cross-section of MLAs DNA talked to are of the view that whosoever becomes the 32nd Chief Minister will be remote-controlled.
"The new Chief Minister may take oath on March 19 at the Kanshi Ram Smriti Upvan," said a home department officer. The sprawling venue, constructed by former Chief Minister Mayawati in memory of late Kanshi Ram, has been deliberately chosen to tease the BSP supremo, whose party was almost routed in the Assembly polls.
Prior to the legislature party meeting, the BJP will take out a Vijay March in all Lucknow constituencies to celebrate their unprecedented victory.
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