In a significant development on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party announced the names of seven candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections, with a strategic focus on caste representation.

Notably, three names from the list are repeated, featuring Vijay Pathak, Ashok Kataria and Mahendra Singh. Additionally, four new faces have been introduced, including Mohit Beniwal, Santosh Singh, Dharmendra Singh and Ram Tirath Singhal.

The selection of candidates by the BJP underscores a conscious inclusion of caste dynamics. The party has nominated candidates from diverse backgrounds, featuring one Brahmin, two Kshatriyas, one Gurjar, one Jat, one Bhumihar and one Vaishya.

However, the list does not include any female candidate, contrary to earlier speculations about Aparna Yadav being fielded.

Among the new entrants, Dharmendra Singh, a resident of Gorakhpur and the regional president of the BJP in the Gorakhpur region, is one of the notable selections. Known for his close association with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Singh is recognised as Other Backward Class leader in the area. His nomination is seen as a strategic move to strengthen the party’s position in the OBC category at the grassroots level.

Ram Tirath Singhal, hailing from Bundelkhand and a former mayor of Jhansi, represents the Vaishya community. The inclusion of Singhal in the list is perceived as a move of the BJP to secure support of the Vaishya community and consolidate its position in Bundelkhand.

The candidates are set to file their nominations on March 11, the last day for filing papers.

To secure a victory in the Legislative Council election, a candidate requires the votes of 29 MLAs. The Samajwadi Party has already declared three candidates for the 13 available seats. With 286 MLAs, including BJP and its allies, and SP having 110 MLAs, the competition for the 13 seats is poised to be intense, with the SP needing 87 votes to secure victories for its three candidates.