BJP's first list out in UP

Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj did not figure in the first list of 149 names of candidates for the Uttar Pradesh elections.

The party, however, withheld announcement of its candidates for some seats, including Sahibabad and Noida – two seats from where Pankaj is keen to contest.

The buzz is that Rajnath took leave of the central election committee of which he is a member when the candidature of his son was to be discussed.

Pankaj, the Uttar Pradesh unit general secretary, has been hoping for a party ticket since 2000.

During the period when his father was the national president of the party, Pankaj had opted out of the race.

The BJP nominated former state BJP chief Laxmikant Vajpayee and Rajasthan governor and former chief minister Kalyan Singh’s grandson Sandeep as it released the names of 149 candidates for the state Assembly polls.

Riot accused in list
Those who were renominated included sitting MLAs, including Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana, both accused in Muzaffarnagar riot cases.

Laxmikant Vajpayee has been fielded from Meerut, from where he is the sitting MLA, Sandeep will contest from Atrauli.

BJP national spokesperson Shrikant Sharma will contest from Mathura.
Most of the seats will go to the polls in the first two phases, on February 11 and 15.
The seven-phase polls for the 403-seat Assembly will be held on February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8.