BJP puts off LP meet, to celebrate win on Saturday

LUCKNOW: The BJP is keeping its CM-pick for UP under wraps and has put off its Thursday’s proposed UP legislature party meeting in Lucknow. Instead, it has now announced plans to celebrate party’s win at all the booths in the state on Saturday.

It has tasked all its lawmakers, MP’s and office bearers to join the victory celebrations.

Unless the BJP goes in for a hurried swearing-in on Friday, the likelihood of it picking a new CM being extended beyond Saturday have increased, said sources. They also indicated that along with chief minister, the party top brass was also mulling the possibility of appointing a deputy CM. PM Narendra Modi is expected for the swearing-in for which the BJP is thinking of a ground like Ramabai Ambedkar that is big enough to accommodate the big crowd that is expected for the event.

According to a PTI report, IG (STF) Ram Kumar, while responding to a question at the daily home department media briefing, said the PM could visit Lucknow on March 17.

“UP’s huge win has also thrown up huge challenges. All the decisions would be guided by the party’s vision for 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Among the many possibilities include party appointing an OBC as deputy CM in case it opts for an upper caste CM,” a party source told HT.

The BJP’s new CM would also be determined by who BJP chooses to be its CM-pick in Uttarakhand.

“Prakash Pant and Trivendra Singh Rawat are among the favorites to be CM in the hill state. If Rawat becomes the CM there, the chances of Rajnathji coming to UP would recede considerably as the party wouldn’t like two same-castes CM in the two states that share a lot more than just the boundaries,” a BJP source said.

The buzz in a section of the BJP is that the union home minister, unwilling to return to state politics, has proposed the name of Union minister Manoj Sinha. There was no word from the Rajnath camp on this. Despite his “arrey Ram Ram” to TV journalists seeking Rajnath’s take on his likely coronation as UP CM, sources said the possibility of Rajnath being persuaded to take up the UP job was still high. The other top contender for the post is UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya.

These discussions are futile and unnecessary RAJNATH SINGH, union home minister on being UP CM