Ahead of UP Assembly polls, BSP MLA Ramveer Upadhyay joins BJP

Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 16 : Ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, former State Cabinet Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Ramveer Upadhyay on Saturday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Agra.
Speaking about the development, the BSP MLA's son, Chirag Upadhyay told reporters, "My father has joined BJP. We will make the BJP retain power in the state. My father has applied for a ticket from the Sadabad constituency in the Hathras district but it is upon the party to decide."
Meanwhile, BJP had released its first list of 107 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in which it denied tickets to 20 sitting MLAs and fielded 21 new candidates.
The party has released the list for the first and second phase of elections scheduled to be held on February 10 and 14.
Keeping the caste arithmetic balance and to gain voters, Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded women on 10 seats, OBC candidates on 44 seats and scheduled castes (SC) candidates from 19 seats, accounting for 60 per cent of the total.
Elections for the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10.
The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.