Samajwadi Party (SP) is likely to field BJP's Allahabad MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi's son Mayank Joshi from Lucknow Cantonment seat for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election after the Bharatiya Janata Party denied ticket to the latter, said sources on Wednesday.
Though the Samajwadi Party has declared its candidates for all the seats in Lucknow, one of them is likely to make way for Joshi.
According to sources, a few candidates may be changed, among which the most discussed name likely to be given a ticket is Mayank Joshi from Lucknow Cantonment.
Rita Bahuguna Joshi had fought the 2017 elections and defeated Aparna Yadav, the then SP candidate from Lucknow Cantonment.
Earlier, the BJP denied the ticket to Mayank Joshi and fielded state Law Minister Brajesh Pathak from the Lucknow Cantonment seat.
BJP MP and a senior leader from Uttar Pradesh Rita Bahuguna Joshi has even offered to give up her Lok Sabha membership if her son Mayank Joshi does not get a ticket from Lucknow Cantt seat in the upcoming State Assembly Elections.
But after her son was denied a ticket she said she respects the decision of the party.
Notably, she has demanded a ticket on the Lucknow Cantt seat, on which she fought elections in 2017 defeating Aparna Yadav, then an SP leader.
Earlier on Tuesday, BJP announced the names of 17 more candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and has fielded former ED joint director Rajeshwar Singh from Sarojini Nagar and denied a ticket to Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.
The party has denied a ticket to Women Welfare Minister Swati Singh from Sarojini Nagar while Ashutosh Shukla has been given a ticket from the Bhagwantnagar Assembly constituency.
The BJP has fielded state Law Minister Brajesh Pathak from Lucknow Cantt while Ashutosh Shukla has been given a ticket from the Bhagwantnagar Assembly constituency.
Neeraj Bora will contest from Lucknow North and Chandrika Prasad Upadhyay has been given the ticket from Chitrakoot.
Joshi joined BJP in 2016 after serving Congress for 24 years. She joined the party in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and contested elections on BJP ticket from Lucknow Cantt seat in 2017.
Elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
( With inputs from ANI )
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