LUCKNOW: The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has decided not to field relatives of any party leaders in the upcoming by-elections to the 12 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.
The decision was taken in a meeting of core committee of the state BJP leaders including, among others, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state President Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey and organising Secretary Sunil Bansal on Wednesday night.
A core committee member told IANS that a decision had been taken to field dedicated party workers in the by-elections and requests to field relatives of legislators who had been elected to the Lok Sabha would not be entertained.
"We are going to give tickets to party workers and not to relatives of newly elected MPs. We will not promote nepotism in the party at any cost," the leader said.
Sources said that most BJP MLAs, who have been elected to the Lok Sabha, want their relatives to contest the Assembly seat they have vacated.
Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi wants a ticket for her son Mayank, while Satydev Pachauri and S.P. Singh Baghel are also lobbying for tickets for their relatives.
By-elections are scheduled for 12 Assembly seats, nine of which were held by the BJP and one by its ally, Apna Dal. The SP and the BSP also held one seat each.
The BJP is determined to win all 12 seats in the bypolls in Uttar Pradesh.