UP assembly polls: 17 BJP MLAs denied seats in list of 91

The BJP on Friday released a list of 91 candidates for the UP assembly elections. The total list of seats for which the party has announced candidates rose to 295 with release of the seventh list. The party denied tickets to 17 MLAs in the latest list. In terms of representation, 22 OBC candidates, 20 SC candidates and nine women and one ST candidate have been fielded.

Ministers Siddharth Nath Singh, Nand Kumar Nandi, Jai Pratap Singh and Upendra Tiwari have been fielded from their constituencies. Former Congress leader Rakesh Sachan, who joined BJP on Thursday, has been fielded in Bhognipur. Bhogni MLA Vinod Katiyar has been denied the seat. Chief minister's media advisor Shalabh Mani Tripathi has been given ticket for the Deoria seat. The suspense continues over seats in Lucknow, but the party is likely to announce the names in two days.

From Gosaiganj constituency, MLA Khabbu Tiwari's wife Arti Tiwari has been fielded. BJP is likely to field former Congress leader RPN Singh, who recently defected, in Padrauna. The candidates for all seats in Kushinagar, barring Khadda and Padrauna, have been announced. Candidates for all seats in Gorakhpur district have been announced too.