State poll results out today, race for CM begins in UP BJP

New Delhi: Charged by the prospects of sweeping Uttar Pradesh and forming government in Uttarakhand and Goa, the BJP is not only preparing for a countrywide celebration, its president Amit Shah has also begun parleys with the RSS brass to decide chief ministerial candidates for the states.

He met senior RSS leader Bhaiyya Ji Joshi in Mumbai on Friday. Counting of votes in the above three states, besides Punjab and Manipur, will take place Saturday.

A victory, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, would not only silence Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s critics but the BJP would also get a boost with regard to electoral numbers for the upcoming Presidential elections. President Pranab Mukherjee’s term expires July 25.

UP sends 31 members to the Rajya Sabha where the government is currently in a minority. A victory could also see the Prime Minister bringing in some contentious reforms and harsher measures to “fight corruption”.

However, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said he was “confident” of an SP-Congress’ victory in UP. He also gave examples of how the pollsters’ predictions were wrong during the Bihar Assembly elections, and stressed that this time also the same would happen.

SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav also said “We are 100 per cent winning the elections” and claimed that he has “information that the original exit polls were changed under pressure by channels a few days back.” Interestingly, SP supremo and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav indicated Thursday that if numbers fall short, joining hands with archrival BSP could be a possibility.

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi quipped on the issue saying, “Those who are dreaming about cobbling up a stopgap alliance will have to keep dreaming.” BJP’s strategists are also hoping that Mayawati’s BSP, the biggest loser in UP predicted by the exit polls, could witness some of its members defecting to it.

During Mr Shah’s meeting with RSS’ second-in-command Bhaiyya Ji Joshi, senior RSS leader Dr Krishna Gopal was also present. BJP’s Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar accompanied Mr Shah to the venue. The meeting lasted for nearly an hour at Yashwant Bhawan, Parel, where Sangh parivar’s upcoming Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (general body meeting) was also discussed. The three-day meet in Coimbatore from March 19 will be attended by the Sangh top brass, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and also by Mr Shah and Union minister Nitin Gadkari.

Meanwhile, BJP’s highest decision-making body, the parliamentary board, is likely to meet Sunday, a day after the results. The BJP top brass could discuss CM candidates.

Names of BJP leaders including Keshav Prasad Maurya, Dinesh Sharma, Union ministers Manoj Sinha, Mahesh Sharma and Uma Bharti are doing the rounds for the CM post in UP.

There is also a demand from the state unit for Union home minister Rajnath Singh for the top post. Speculation is also rife that the BJP could name a “dark horse” for the post.

Another state where the exit polls have favoured the BJP is Uttarakhand. There, names of Satpal Maharaj, Ashok Bhatt, Trivendra Rawat are doing the rounds for the CM post.

In Punjab, where some of the exit polls have predicted AAP to open its account, the AAP leadership did not name any chief ministerial candidate. In Goa, it named former cop Elvis Gomes as its CM face.

In the Bharatiya Janata Party camp, the names of Union ministers Manohar Parrikar and Sripad Naik are also doing the rounds for the post.

Upbeat over the exit polls predictions, Union minister Ravishankar Prasad said in Patna “Ek Holi kal bhi khelenge, jo kesariya Holi hogi.”

Taking a jibe at political rivals who had criticised the demonetisation decision, an issue which the BJP’s opponents had aggressively highlighted during campaigning, Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, “After seeing people’s support to the government decision, tone of those who are criticising government for demonetisation will change from tomorrow evening.”