UP polls: Maya may drop many MLAs

Candidates for the seats lost in 2007 will be decided by January-end,said party sources. The decision to deny tickets to sitting MLAs will be made public only after the end of the Assembly budget session in February.

Some of the legislators to be axed have already been identified and the party’s zonal coordinators have been asked to inform them in confidence.

The decision to change or retain an MLA will depend mainly on three factors,said a leader: the feedback about his image in the constituency,his ability to get Dalit votes,and his potential to win.

Besides,issues like his role in the panchayat elections will also be considered.

The zonal coordinators,who collect reports from its district committees and assembly committees,have a key role.

“They assess the candidates on basis of discussions with members of both committees and send reports directly to the party president,” said a BSP leader.

The party has already given enough hints about ticket denial to former minister Rajesh Tripathi for the Chillupar seat in Gorakhpur district. The MLAs already notified includes Brijesh Saurabh,who represents Garwara in the Assembly.

While Saurabh refused to comment,party sources said since his constituency is broken up owing to delimitation,he wanted to contest from Vishwanathganj — which includes most of his old constituency. It is not yet clear whom the party wants to field from Vishwanathganj.

There are others whose constituencies have gone,or who want to shift. Their fate will depend on the caste equations in the constituencies they want to contest from. Urban Development Minister Nakul Dubey’s Mahona assembly seat does not exist after delimitation. “It is not easy to select a new constituency for him,” said a leader. Secondary Education Minister Rangnath Mishra’s constituency Aurai has been reserved for SCs and he is said to be eyeing Bhadohi,but the party has not given him any assurance because the BSP lergislator from Barsathi,Ravindra Tripathi,also wants to contest from Bhadohi.

Labour Minister Badshah Singh’s announcement that he wants to take “sanyas” from politics was made after it became clear that he cannot get the ticket for Hamirpur or Mahoba after his constituency,Moudaha,was abolished in the delimitation,said party sources.

On shaky ground
* Labour Minister Badshah Singh
* Former Minister Rajesh Tripathi
* Legislator Brijesh Saurabh
* Urban Development Minister Nakul Dubey
* Secondary Education Minister Rangnath Mishra