Upper caste to be BJP face in Uttar Pradesh elections

New Delhi: The BJP is all set for Uttar Pradesh elections with an upper caste as the party’s face. The party high command, which has already sent a signal to the backward community by making OBC leader Keshav Prasad Maurya the state unit chief, has decided to project an upper caste as that has always been its core vote bank.

Sources said the party may follow the Assam formula in Uttar Pradesh. While not disclosing any names, sources said the party is looking at the option of projecting an upper caste Union minister to lead the party in Uttar Pradesh polls. Like Sarbanand Sonowal, the minister need not quit the Union Cabinet before the polls.

The Union minister will quit the Cabinet post if BJP manages to form the government in the state.

The BJP also intends to make maximum use of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to woo the state’s electorate. A large number of rallies are being planned for Mr Modi, who has described himself as a “UPwallah”.

“He is going to be our main vote catcher,” a senior party functionary said. Of the 403 Assembly seats in the state, the BJP intends to capture over 265, ‘Mission 265 plus.’

Mr Modi won his second seat from Varanasi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, there are signals that the Bahujan Samaj Party’s heavyweight and Dalit face,  Swami Prasad Maurya, could now join the BJP.

Mr Maurya, who has been camping in Delhi, met some of the BJP’s top leaders on Saturday.  In a major political upset ahead of the UP polls, Mr Maurya quit the BSP on Wednesday,  accusing party chief Mayawati of auctioning party tickets.