UP Assembly polls: Turncoats and dynasts in BJP's second list of candidates

After RSS comments on quotas, BJP reaches out to non-Yadav OBC castes

On a day the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress announced an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its second list of 155 candidates.

BJP had released its first list of 149 candidates last week only after it became apparent that the Election Commission will give the ‘bicycle’ symbol to what was then the Akhilesh Yadav faction in SP.

Like the first list, the second one has its share of turncoats and dynasts. But, it has also given several tickets to non-Yadav OBC candidates belong to the Shakya, Maurya and Kushwaha caste, which constitute