Although the sitting BJP MP, Lalji Tandon, is confident that he would be given ticket for the third consecutive term, there are speculations that other senior leaders may be considered for this coveted seat.

Since the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had always been winning from this seat since 1991, this seat has assumed importance in Indian politics and is considered to be a safe bet for BJP.

When Atal Behari Vajpayee decided not to contest for Lok Sabha any more, then this seat was given to his close lieutenant Lalji Tandon, who won it for two consecutive terms.

Ever since BJP decided to install the Gujarat CM Narendra Modi as head of the BJP’s campaign committee, a large section of BJP leaders and workers have started chanting slogans for Modi to contest from Lucknow.

So much so, a signature campaign was launched to mount pressure on the BJP high command to field Modi from Lucknow.

Again, when the BJP president Rajnath Singh decided to make Amit Shah, close lieutenant of the Gujarat CM, then people started thinking that Modi would contest from Lucknow.

There is a perception in the UP BJP that if the party decides to field Modi from Lucknow, then it would enthuse voters in neighbouring constituencies and it could benefit the party in getting more seats in general.

When the BJP MP Lalji Tandon was asked by the media if party had already decided to field Modi from Lucknow, then he said that he would also help him to win.

There are talks about senior leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, MP from Varanasi and Kalraj Mishra MLA also showing their interest in contesting from Lucknow.

Another serious claimant for this coveted seat is none other than the BJP national president Rajnath Singh.

There are reports that Rajnath Singh is not finding Ghaziabad Lok Sabha seat comfortable this time. Last time, Samajwadi Party had not fielded any candidate against Rajnath Singh, which helped BJP leader to win his seat.

Since Rajnath Singh had been the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he too thinks that Lucknow could a comfortable seat and Tandon could be sent to Rajya Sabha.

During his recent visit to Lucknow, Rajnath Singh was asked from where he would contest Lok Sabha, to which he replied if party decided then he could contest from the Ghaziabad seat. There was assertion in his reply that he would contest from Ghaziabad only.

At a time when two prominent parties, BSP and Samajwadi Party, have fielded Brahmin candidates, Nakur Dube and Ashok Vajpai, and Congress could also pit another Brahmin, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, then would be interesting to see as to who eventually gets a chance from BJP to serve people from the city of erstwhile nawabs. (IPA)