BJP MLAs to elect UP leader today; Manoj Sinha among front runners

New Delhi : Suspense remained on BJP’s chief ministerial pick in Uttar Pradesh as newly elected MLAs are all set to meet here on Saturday to elect their leader with Union Minister Manoj Sinha among the front runners.
Besides Sinha, Home Minister and former state chief minister Rajnath Singh and state party chief Keshav Prasad Maurya are being projected as strong nominees for the post by their partymen.
“The new Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh along with his Cabinet colleagues would take oath on March 19 at 5 pm at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan,” Governor Ram Naik said in a statement in Lucknow.
Prime Minister Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah will also attend the ceremony.
The BJP marked an astounding victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections by winning 324 seats out of 403, thus dislodging the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) from power.
State BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said that the legislature party meeting would be held on Saturday at Lok Bhawan — the newly constructed Chief Minster’s office located adjacent to the UP BJP office.Central observers — Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav — will remain present at the meeting to elect the chief minister.
“Neither do I know about any race, nor am I in any race,” Sinha told reporters outside Parliament when asked if he was in the race to become the chief minister of the country’s politically most important state.