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EC yet to announce date, but race begins for BJP ticket to Lko East by-poll
The ticket aspirants are holding parleys with top party leaders and office-bearers in the state unit office here as well as the national headquarters in Delhi.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have started lobbying for party ticket for Lucknow East assembly seat, though the Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to announce the schedule for the by-poll on the seat that fell vacant due to the death of sitting MLA Ashutosh Tandon ‘Gopal ji’.
The ticket aspirants are holding parleys with top party leaders and office-bearers in the state unit office here as well as the national headquarters in Delhi. The Lucknow East assembly seat is considered a stronghold of the BJP and the party has been winning it in sucessive assembly elections since 1991.
The pressure by the local unit leaders has put the BJP leadership in a quandary. Leaders of the BJP’s region, district and city units claim that preference should be given to the local leaders in selection of the candidate. “The hard working and loyal party workers from the local unit should be rewarded with ticket for the seat. It will send a good message to the cadre and galavanize them before the coming Lok Sabha elections,” said a BJP leader.
Local party worker Mukesh Sharma has been sent to the legislative council after elevation in the organization while Sushma Kkarakwal has been made Mayor. After the completion of the assembly election process in five states, the party is likely to start the selection of the candidate for the Lucknow East assembly seat as well as the Council seat vacated after election of former minister Dinesh Sharma to Rajya Sabha. The local unit leaders had laid claim to both the seats, he said.
Amit Tandon, son of former minister Lalji Tandon and younger brother of AshutoshTandon has thrown his hat in the ticket ring, claiming the political legacy of his father and brother. Ashutosh Tandon had represented Lucknow East seat in the legislative assembly thrice- winning it in the 2014 by-poll and 2017 and 2022 assembly elections. Along with handling the family business, Amit has become active in the political circles. If the party plans to play the emotional card to garner vote in the by poll, Amit would be front runner, the BJP leader said.
BJP state vice president Santosh Singh, who was earlier a student leader of Lucknow University, is also a strong contender for the seat. The name of SP rebel Aparna Yadav is also in discussion for the ticket, as she had met senior BJP leaders in Delhi recently. The name of the BJP legislative council leaders whose term would end in May next year is also under discussion. The seat has a large number of Brahmin voters, so the name of senior party leader Vijay Bahadur Pathak is also doing the rounds. Rajasthan governor Kalraj Mishra had also represented the seat in the legislative assembly, the BJP leader said.
