UP election 2022: Yogi Adityanath to contest from Gorakhpur, Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu

Highlights

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to contest from Gorakhpur
Except for CM and his deputy, all the names are for 105 which will contest in the first two phases
This is the first time Adityanath will contest Assembly polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to field Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur. The BJP on Saturday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022. The list was released by union minister Dharmendra Pradhan & BJP national general secretary Arun Singh at the press conference in New Delhi. FULL LIST

Except for Adityanath and Maurya, all the names are for 105 of the 113 seats which will go to the polls in the first two phases on February 10 and 14, with 44 of them hailing from Other Backward Classes and 19 Scheduled Castes, accounting for 60 per cent of the total.

Soon after the announcement, Yogi said, "I am thankful to PM Modi, BJP chief JP Nadda, Central Parliamentary committee for fielding me from the Gorakhpur constituency. BJP works on the model of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. BJP will form govt in UP with full majority."

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters the list has 63 sitting MLAs, including ministers such as Suresh Khanna, Suresh Rana and Shrikant Sharma, while 20 have made way for others. While there was speculation that Adityanath may be fielded from Ayodhya, Pradhan said the party decided to put him in the fray from Gorakhpur, his traditional political turf which he has represented in Lok Sabha for five consecutive terms. Asked about the issue, Pradhan said the chief minister was willing to contest from any of the 403 seats in the state.

This is the first time Adityanath will contest Assembly polls.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had welcomed the announcement of poll dates in the state and said the BJP will return to power with an "overwhelming majority". The Election Commission had announced seven-phase voting in Uttar Pradesh starting February 10. Counting of votes will take place in March, along with four other poll-bound states.

"We welcome the festival of democracy. "With the blessings of the people and on the basis of the double engine government's achievements, the BJP will form its government with an overwhelming majority," Adityanath had tweeted in Hindi.

The state will go to polls on February 10, February 14, February 20, February 23, February 27, March 3 and March 7. Counting of votes in Uttar Pradesh, along with Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, will take place on March 10.

The BJP has already announced Adityanath as its chief ministerial face in the politically crucial state.