English
Varanasi, March 18: Senior BJP leader Manoj Sinha paid obeisance at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi ahead of the announcement of chief minister face of Uttar Pradesh by the BJP on Sunday. The Union Minister of Communication (Independent charge) and minister of state of Railways, Sinha, is considered as the front runner for the post of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, where the saffron party has won with huge majority in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2017.
Earlier on Friday, Manoj Sinha had ruled himself out of the race however, media reports still see him as BJP’s favourite candidate for the post of UP CM. Sinha, who belongs to Bhumihar Brahmin caste, is an MTech from Benaras Hindu University (BHU) and is considered to have strong footholds among the rural masses of Uttar Pradesh.
#WATCH Union Minister Manoj Sinha prays at Varanasi’s Kaal Bhairav Mandir pic.twitter.com/ZMcwoQlwdg
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 18, 2017
As reported by news agency ANI, Sinha also prayed at Sankat Mochan Temple and Kashi Vishvanath Temple after visiting Kaal Bhairav Temple on Saturday morning. The leader shares a great rapport with the central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh.
The BJP is likely to announce the name of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister at 4 pm on Saturday after MLAs meet at Lok Bhawan in Lucknow. Senior party leaders Venkaiah Naidu and Bhupendra Yadav are likely to attend the meet. The oath taking ceremony of the new ruler of the state will be held on Sunday and is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP National President Amit Shah.
Union Minister Manoj Sinha also prayed at Sankat Mochan Mandir after visiting Kaal Bhairav and Kashi Vishvanath temples #Varanasi pic.twitter.com/Zpfs6zCeV5
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 18, 2017
Another name that was earlier doing rounds for the post of the UP CM was state BJP Chief Keshav prasad Maurya. However, Maurya confirmed his fall out of the race in an interview in which he said, “Mere paas toh naam tay karne ka zimma hai. Apna naam koi kaise tay karega? (I have been given the responsibility to pick a name. How can anyone pick their own name?)”
In the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2017, the BJP had won over 300 seats out of the total 403 seats in the state. Its main contenders – Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance and the BSP managed to earn less than 100 seats.
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