Assembly election results 2017

The BJPs Parliamentary Board will meet today to decide Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand where the party won with a rather huge majority, results of which were declared yesterday.

Speaking to media persons last evening, party President Amit Shah said that on Sunday evening the party’s Parliamentary Board will meet and discuss the Chief Ministers and future course of action. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to attend the meeting.

Though the BJP had not projected any face in both the States, there seems to be as many as six contenders for the top post in UP. State BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya is one of the frontrunners. Former UP CM and current Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s name is also doing the rounds.  

Along with Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, a Bhumihar, is among the contenders. Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath has also thrown his hat in the ring. Sources even said dark horse Varun Gandhi will be the next UP CM. In the running also is Union minister Smriti Irani.

UTTARAKHAND

In Uttarakhand, BJP has at least three former Chief Ministers from its own party’s governments in the State — Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Ramesh Pokhriyal, and B.C. Khanduri, as well as Congress rebel Vijay Bahuguna who joined the BJP ahead of elections — to consider. The new party choice could well be Trivendra Singh Rawat,  former Minister and party in-charge for Jharkhand.

GOA AND MANIPUR

As Goa and Manipur threw up fractured mandates, both Congress and BJP are staking claim to form governments. While Congress won 17 out of Goa’s 40 seats, BJP was behind with 13. It also has the support of an Independent candidate backed by it. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) with three seats, Goa Forward Party (3) and NCP (1) are sitting on the fence with all the three being wooed by both Congress and BJP.

In Manipur, Congress bagged 28 out of 60 seats and BJP won 21 seats. Congress now needs to win over the lone Trinamool Congress legislator as well as an independent to reach 30, still one short of the magic figure of 31.

BJP is banking on late former Speaker P.A. Sangma’s NPP, Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP and Naga People’s Front (NPF) as all three are NDA allies. These parties hold nine seats in all and leave the BJP with 30 seats. The Trinamool MLA is being pursued by both the national parties as he could swing the fortunes either way. LJP which had supported Congress in the last government is now part of NDA.

SIDHU TO BE DEPUTY CM?

Captain Amarinder Singh is all set to be the Chief Minister. Speculations are rife that Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Congress candidate from Amritsar East, may be chosen for the Deputy CM’s post. While Captain Amarinder Singh said party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will decide on the Deputy CM, Sidhu played it safe and called himself a “soldier of Rahul Gandhi’s army”.