The BJP today released its third list of 67 candidates for UP assembly polls, which includes the name of former BSP leader Swamy Prasad Maurya, who had recently defected to the saffron party.
With this, the party has so far announced the names of 370 candidates with no Muslim nominee among them. The election to the 403-member Assembly will take place in seven phases, starting February 11.
While for remaining 30 seats, the party is in talks with its allies Apna Dal and Bhartiya Samaj Party, BJP's National General Secretary Arun Singh told reporters here while releasing the list of its candidates.
Besides Maurya, the party has also given tickets to R K Chaudhary and Dara Singh Chouhan, both of who have joined the BJP from BSP.
Maurya will be BJP's candidate from Padrona seat, while R K Chaudhary and Dara Singh Chauhan have been nominated from Mohanlalganj and Madhuban seats respectively.
All three are influential faces of their respective castes, which plays major role in deciding the fortune of various candidates in Uttar Pradesh.
BJP has also nominated its former state party President Surya Pratap Shahi from Pathardeva.
Most of these candidates whose names were announced today are from the seats which will go to polls in sixth and seventh phase.
The seven-phase polls in the state will take place on February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8.
The party has been pulling out all stops to capture power in UP, which in terms of political implications is more important than all other four poll-bound states.
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