UP's MLC ministers may contest Assembly polls as BJP plans major reshuffle

New Delhi: The BJP is looking at fielding several prominent ministers, currently members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, in the upcoming state assembly polls, as it plans to replace at least one-in-three of its sitting MLAs, sources said.

Some of the prominent names from the BJP's state cabinet, who could contest elections are deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, cabinet ministers Swatantra Dev Singh and Arvind Kumar Sharma (A K Sharma), former state BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary and Dara Singh Chauhan are among those who are being considered.

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Maurya had contested 2022 elections as well but lost. The party could ask these leaders to contest assembly elections as it prepares to drop more than 30% of its sitting MLAs. Their induction into the electoral fray could also provide the leadership an opportunity to replace some sitting MLAs with prominent faces from within the government and the organisation.

ET had earlier reported that the BJP was looking at replacing around 40% of its sitting MLAs in Uttar Pradesh as part of its preparations for the 2027 polls. Fielding ministers who are currently MLCs could be one of the ways to accommodate prominent leaders while making changes to the existing line-up of legislators.

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Other ministers who are members of the Legislative Council and could also be considered for the electoral battle include Dharmveer Prajapati, Narendra Kashyap, Daya Shankar Mishra 'Dayalu', Jaswant Singh Saini and Hansraj Vishwakarma.

The BJP is also understood to be weighing the prospects of former MPs who lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, most of them are unlikely to be accommodated in the assembly candidate list, though exceptions cannot be ruled out.

The final selection of candidates is expected to take shape closer to the elections, with the party weighing organisational requirements, regional representation and the need for changes in constituencies.