The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to send a panel of 10 names to the central leadership to choose a candidate for legislative council seat that has fallen vacant following the resignation of former Samajwadi Party MLC Swami Prasad Maurya.

This decision was taken during a meeting of the state core committee of the party which was chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence here.

This is the first poll after the Lok Sabha election where the MLC seat would be contested on the basis of strength of the parties in Vidhan Sabha. There is speculation that the Samajwadi Party may not field a candidate because of the numerical supremacy of the BJP in the lower House.

“Still the state unit of the BJP has decided to send a panel of names to the central leadership so that it could decide the candidate depending on the caste and seniority in the party,” a senior BJP leader said.

The meeting also decided to hold a state executive committee meeting on July 14 to discuss the upcoming by-elections to 10 assembly seats. The party will finalise three candidates for each seat and send the list to the central leadership.

“Even for the bye-elections, the candidates will be selected by the central leadership. The state unit will only have a suggestive role,” the leader said.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh, and other senior leaders.

Additionally, the party chalked out a strategy for participation in the large-scale tree plantation drive, One Tree in Mother’s Name, and decided to involve party leaders and workers in the campaign. The dates for the drive will be announced soon.