BJP drops three sitting MPs, names candidates on seven seats in UP

Lucknow: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released another list of seven candidates for seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister, late Chandra Shekhar, has been named as a candidate for the Ballia Lok Sabha seat replacing the sitting MP Virendra Singh Mast.

Another sitting MP who has been dropped is Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi from Allahabad. The BJP has given the ticket to Neeraj Tripathi, son of former Speaker Kesri Nath Tripathi.

The sitting MP from Phulpur Keshri Devi Patel has also been replaced with Parveen Patel.

B.P. Saroj, MP from Machhlishahr, has been renominated to contest elections.

In Ghazipur, the BJP has named Paras Nath Rai as its candidate. Rai is a close associate of Manoj Sinha, Lt. Governor Jammu and Kashmir. He will challenge Afzal Ansari of the Samajwadi Party (SP).

The BJP has fielded Jaiveer Singh from Mainpuri. He will challenge Dimple Yadav of the SP.

Sitting MP Vinod Sonkar will seek re-election from Kaushambhi for a third term.