As nominations for the first phase of voting for local body elections begin, the contest for mayoral seats, particularly in Lucknow, has intensified. While aspiring BJP candidates are looking to Lucknow MP and defence minister Rajnath Singh, who is likely to have the ultimate say on the city’s mayoral seat, the SP has also begun its search for a suitable candidate.
As several names circulate for the BJP’s Lucknow mayoral nomination, prospective candidates have begun lobbying for their candidacy by meeting with senior leaders to present their case. Recently deceased Bollywood actor’s spouse is the most recent addition to the list of candidates.
According to BJP sources, her name is being seriously considered for the Lucknow seat, which is designated for women. Even though the saffron party has decided not to give tickets to relatives of MLAs and ministers, such candidates will continue to advocate for themselves until a definitive decision is made.
“She is a teacher and has never had political ambitions,” he tweeted, refuting media claims.
Three names are currently circulating among relatives of MLAs and ministers: Namrata Pathak is the wife of vice-chief minister Brajesh Pathak. Jayalakshmi Sharma is the wife of ex-vice-chief minister Dinesh Sharma, and Bindu Bora is the wife of Lucknow North MLA Neeraj Bora. However, Sharma has denied that his wife sought a ticket. “She is a teacher and has never had political ambitions,” he tweeted, dismissing the media allegations as false.
Also circulating is the name of a prominent former Rajya Sabha member who has been nominated as a corporator from Lucknow. Additionally, the widow of a former Union minister is in the running.
Saharanpur, Moradabad, Agra, Jhansi, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Devipatan, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi will vote.
She and her son have worked diligently to gain respectable membership in the BJP. The name of Aparna Yadav, the daughter-in-law of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who joined the BJP several months before the 2022 Assembly elections, is also circulating.
On May 4, the divisions of Saharanpur, Moradabad, Agra, Jhansi, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Devipatan, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi will hold elections.
On May 11, voting would take place in Meerut, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, Basti, Azamgarh, and Mirzapur. The state election commission has announced that vote tallying will occur on May 13. (SEC).
From SP camp, the search for a viable candidate in Lucknow has begun. In the previous municipal corporation elections, it introduced Meera Vardhan, a newcomer to Lucknow politics, to the mayoral office. According to sources, the party is seeking a candidate with her own ballots in addition to the traditional SP votes.
The party is open to the possibility of nominating a candidate who is believed to be lobbying for a BJP nomination. According to sources, if she is denied a ticket by the BJP, the SP may nominate her. According to SP insiders, between fourteen and fifteen names have been selected. According to informants, among them is the identity of the minority-community spouse of a former SP legislator.
