News Nation Logo

BJP sweeps Uttar Pradesh: Rajnath, Adityanath or Maurya- who will be the next CM?

Who Are The Possible CM Faces From The BJP Camp? Here’s A Look At The Contenders Who Will Lead UP From Lucknow Central:

News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Arshi Aggarwal | Updated on: 12 Mar 2017, 12:08:25 PM

New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party may have driven home the victory, but the party high command still faces the humongous task of choosing the kings for the state thrones. 

BJP senior leadership is meeting all day on Sunday to decide the faces of chief ministerial candidates for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where they have won a clear majority, along with Manipur and Goa where despite fractured mandate the party hopes to make government in alliance with local candidates. 

With Saturday's result, BJP has once again proved that it can win state elections with big margins without even announcing its chief ministerial candidates. After Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra, the saffron party stuck to the same tactics in Uttar Pradesh too where it was relying heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charismatic leadership.

Live updates | BJP leaders reach Amit Shah's residence for post-election meeting; workers celebrate

Who are the possible CM faces from the BJP camp?

Here’s a look at the contenders who will lead UP from Lucknow central.

Rajnath Singh

The last BJP chief minister that Uttar Pradesh had in 2002, Rajnath Singh may turn out to be a natural choice for the saffron party. Singh, an MP from Ghaziabad, tirelessly campaigned in the state addressing nearly 120. A two-time BJP national president, Singh has been a major figure in the party after stalwarts Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani took a backseat.
Singh's impressive political portfolio makes him one of the top contenders for CM's post.

Also Read: BJP Parliamentary board to decide CMs for Uttar Pradesh, U'Khand, Manipur, PM Modi to be felicitated at HQ

Manoj Sinha

The other contender from the Modi cabinet is Union telecom minister Manoj Sinha. This highly-educated BJP strategist also enjoys a good repo with the Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah. Sinha is also considered the all-knowing man of the BJP who has information on each and every seat of Uttar Pradesh. 

Keshav Prasad Maurya 

The BJP state president represents the influential Maurya caste, the largest demographic segment among non-Yadav OBCs. Maurya was in charge of party's back-end operations and organisational responsibilities. Maurya also enjoys a good repo with the Sangh and is also in good books of Modi and party president Amit Shah.

Mahesh Sharma

Another minister from the Modi cabinet, Mahesh Sharma fits the profile of upper-caste CM face in UP. The Union culture and tourism minister has Sangh's backing and is considered as Modi's trusted men.

Yogi Adityanath

The firebrand leader with Hindutva leanings is also being touted as the chief ministerial candidate. However, his chances of leading the BJP government are very slim as the party would not want to marginalise minority community due to his hardliner image in the run-up to the next general elections.

(With inputs from agencies)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

First Published : 12 Mar 2017, 10:47:00 AM

Related Tags:

BJP Uttar Pradesh

Videos