7 UP MLAs denied tickets in BJP's list of 85 candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party has released names of 85 candidates in its second major list for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Seven MLAs have been denied tickets and four legislators who joined BJP from opposition parties have been given tickets. Asim Arun, Kanpur police commissioner who retired to join BJP, has been fielded from the reserved seat of Kannauj.

The list also has replacements for five MLAs who joined SP recently. Candidates belonging to the same caste as those who defected have been fielded in respective seats. Some MLAs have been replaced due to old age or ill health. Opposition legislators in the BJP second list are Congress Raebareli MLA Aditi Singh, BSP Sadabad MLA Ramveer Upadhyaya, SP Sirsaganj MLA Hariom Yadav and SP Hardoi MLA Nitin Aggarwal. All have been fielded in their current constituencies.

Retaining castes in Shikohabad, Omprakash Verma replaces Mukesh Verma, in Tilhar, Roshan Lal Verma has been replaced by Salona Kushwah, in Dhaurahra, Vinod Shankar Awasthi replaces Bala Shankar Awasthi, in Bidhuna, Riya Shakya, daughter of Vinay Shakya. All five MLAs had joined SP. Riya Shakya claimed her father was 'forcibly taken by his brother to Lucknow' to join the SP. Vinay Shakya and the police rubbished the allegation. In Bilhaur, a reserved seat, Bhagwati Prasad Sagar has been replaced by Rahul B Sonkar.


Arun has been fielded in Kannauj, a SP bastion. The seat is currently held by SP's Anil Kumar Dohare. Fielding Arun is in line with BJP's strategy of projecting him as a Dalit face and 'youth model'. MLAs replaced due to age and ill health include Agyash Ram Saran Verma in Bisalpur. His son Vivek Verma will contest the seat.