CM candidates will keep out of election fray in UP

The chief ministerial candidates of various political parties for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will not be contesting the elections.

According to sources, the chief ministerial candidates will remain busy campaigning for the party candidates and will not “waste” time on their own contest.

UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is a member of the UP Legislative Council and his term will expire in May 2018. Mr Yadav was earlier tipped to contest from an Assembly segment in Aurraiyya of Kannauj district, but sources close to the chief minister now say that he will concentrate on the campaign and will not contest the Assembly polls himself.

Mr Yadav is the sole star campaigner of his party and has a lot on stake in the upcoming elections, especially after the recent strife within the family and the party.

BSP president Mayawati also has no intentions of contesting the Assembly elections. She is a member of the Rajya Sabha and will focus on the party campaign in UP.

“If the party gets the numbers to form the government, Ms Mayawati will opt for a seat in the Vidhan Parishad. She is our undisputed leader and every party leader will be happy to vacate his seat for her,” said a party functionary.

Congress chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit is also unlikely to contest the polls.

It was earlier reported that Ms Dikshit would contest either from Unnao, which is her in-laws’ home, or from Kannauj, but Congress leaders now feel that it would be better if she concentrated on the campaign instead.

The party, however, is apparently aware that it is still nowhere near to forming a government in 2017 in UP and feels that it would be better to focus on increasing its seats and getting into the role of a kingmaker.

“The party high command has still not decided on the candidates, but Ms Dikshit is our star campaigner and she will probably remain restricted to that role during the polls,” a Congress functionary said.

The BJP, on the other hand, has not decided on a chief ministerial candidate and sources said that the chief minister, in any case, would not be from among the winning legislators.

A senior political analyst, meanwhile, said that the chief ministerial candidates of various parties were apparently wary of contesting the polls because they were still unsure of the outcome of the elections.

“With no party getting a majority at the moment, these leaders want to play safe and avoid contesting the polls,” he said.