Yogi Adityanath set to contest from Gorakhpur, Akhilesh Yadav says BJP has already ‘sent him home’  |  Photo Credit: ANI
Lucknow: With less than a month left for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls to begin, the BJP on Saturday said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will contest from the Gorakhpur constituency. Following the announcement, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the ruling party, stating that it had “sent him (Adityanath) home” even before the elections.
“I’m thankful to BJP,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. “Speculation was rife over Yogi Adityanath contesting from Ayodhya, Prayagraj…and then this.”
“Sometimes they said Mathura… sometimes they said Ayodhya…and now they are saying Gorakhpur. Before the public, their party has sent them back home. Actually, they have not got the ticket, their return ticket has been cut,” read his tweet roughly translated from Hindi.
While Adityanath has been the Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur for five consecutive terms since 1998, recent reports had suggested that he might contest the upcoming polls from Ayodhya or Mathura. The Chief Minister has incidentally never contested a state Assembly election. Recent reports quoting sources had suggested that the recent exodus of BJP leaders in the poll-bound state could prompt a shift in location for Adityanath.
The state assembly elections are scheduled to be held in seven phases from February 10. Results for all five state assembly elections will be declared a month later on March 10. On Saturday morning Cabinet Minister and BJP’s state election in charge Dharmendra Pradhan had announced the release of a list of candidates for 57 out of 58 seats in the first phase and for 48 out of 55 in the second phase. Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya meanwhile is set to contest from the Sirathu assembly segment.
“I am thankful to PM Modi, BJP chief JP Nadda, Central Parliamentary committee for fielding me from the Gorakhpur constituency,” Adityanath said after the announcements.
