Shah holds meeting with UP leaders to pick poll nominees

The BJP called off its Central Election Committee meeting today as its president Amit Shah remained closeted with top state leaders to finalise names of more candidates for UP assembly polls.
With a number of state leaders seeking tickets for their favourites, including kin in several cases, Shah held long deliberation with Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra, state unit president Keshav Prasad Maurya and state in-charge Om Mathur among others.
Singh's son Pankaj Singh, who is UP BJP general secretary, is also a contender and several of his supporters raised slogans in support of his candidature from Sahibabad outside Shah's residence.

Pankaj's name did not figure in the list of 149 candidates released yesterday following the CEC meeting. The party has withheld announcement of its nominees from Sahibabad and Noida seat, both going to the polls in the first phase on February 11.
A source said his name is being considered seriously by the top party brass. He had missed out during the last assembly polls.
Sources said a number of party MPs besides regional satraps, including those inducted into the saffron fold from rival parties, have been pushing candidature of those close to them, making the task of evolving a consensus tricky.

The first list includes a number of leaders who joined BJP recently.