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UP Elections 2017: Do you really want to know who will be the next CM of Uttar Pradesh?

Early trends are showing an overwhelming win for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh. The party is set to return to power in the state after over 15 years. But who will be the party’s CM pick?

The big day is here and just like Exit polls and now early trends indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to script a spectacular victory in Uttar Pradesh. BJP could win 251 to 279 seats while the ruling Samajwadi Party, which fought the election in alliance with the Congress may come to distant second winning 88-112 seats.

With the BJP set to return to power in the crucial state after nearly 15 years, here is a list of probable chief ministerial candidates:

Keshav Prasad Maurya:

The state party unit chief, who represents Phulpur in the Lok Sabha, is said to be one of the top contenders for the CM post. The 47-year-old leader was not seen much in the public sharing stage with ‘star campaigners’ PM Narendra Modi or Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
There are several factors which may work in favor of Maurya. With him, the BJP may want to consolidate more support from the non-Yadav OBCs which the party has been missing since Kalyan Singh was sidelined. However, ruling a huge state like Uttar Pradesh could prove to be a daunting task for Maurya, who lacks administrative experience.


Rajnath Singh:

The Home Minister was the last BJP chief minister that Uttar Pradesh had in 2002. The Ghaziabad MP campaigned extensively in the state addressing nearly 120 big, small rallies. Rajnath, who has been the BJP’s president for two terms, has been at the forefront of BJP’s rise after leader’s like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani took a backseat. His experience at holding important posts makes Rajnath one of the top contenders for the post. However, it remains to be seen whether he would opt to return to state politics from New Delhi.

Manoj Sinha:

The Lok Sabha MP from Ghazipur could also be considered for the top UP post. Sinha, who is currently the Telecom and Minister of State for Railways, has BTech and MTech degrees from IIT-Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Sinha is another leader who believes in working at the grassroots level. Sinha enjoys a huge support of the party cadre in his constituency and eastern UP.

The 57-year-old’s organizational skills make him one of the best bet for the CM post, however, the biggest factor which may work against him is his caste. Is the BJP ready to promote a Brahmin on the CM post in Uttar Pradesh? The answer could be just a few hours away.

Who will the BJP favour? Answer just a few hours away.

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