Yogi Adityanath likely to contest assembly polls from Ayodhya

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to contest the February-March assembly elections in the state from Ayodhya, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday, as the process for ticket distribution within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun.

A Supreme Court ruling paved the way for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in 2019 years after the BJP's campaign for building it catapulted it to power first in the 1990s.

The BJP's core committee on Uttar Pradesh, which includes Adityanath, met in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss possible candidates for the assembly elections. A party functionary said the issue of Adityanath's candidature from Ayodhya came up for discussion at the meeting.

Elections will be held to the 403-member state assembly in seven phases from February 10 to March 7 and results will be announced on March 10.

The final decision on the ticket distribution will be that of the BJP's election committee, which will examine the recommendations from the state unit. There is a growing clamour for Adityanath to be fielded from Ayodhya or Mathura because of their religious significance to the Hindus.

A second party functionary said the proposal to field Adityanath, a five-time Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur, from Ayodhya will send a message combining Hindutva with development.

BJP functionaries on the ground claim the performance of the state government and the Centre's social schemes will help the party retain power in Uttar Pradesh with 270 to 290 seats.