Lucknow, Sep 28 — The Uttar Pradesh BJP is likely to hold a meeting of its core committee in Lucknow on Monday to discuss the party’s preparations for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, with the selection of candidates for eight seats expected to be a key agenda. Polls for 10 seats of UP will be held on October 16.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya are expected to attend the meeting. Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary and state organisation general secretary Dharampal Singh are also likely to be present.
The meeting is expected to focus on drawing up panels of prospective candidates for the eight Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh. The state leadership is likely to prepare a panel of three names for each seat, giving the central leadership a broader set of choices before the final selection.
Sources said the panels prepared by the state unit will subsequently be forwarded to the BJP's central leadership. The final decision on the candidates is expected to be taken at the central level after considering the recommendations from the state.
Rajya Sabha elections assume significance for the BJP as the party seeks to consolidate its representation in the Upper House. The exercise will also involve balancing organisational considerations and the representation of different sections while finalising the candidates.
The proposed core committee meeting is therefore expected to provide the first formal framework for the state unit's recommendations. The discussions among senior leaders will help narrow down the names before the panels are sent to the central leadership.
The BJP has yet to formally announce its candidates for the eight Uttar Pradesh seats. The final list will be declared after the central leadership completes its consultations and takes a decision on the nominations.