I am not BJP s UP CM candidate Home Minister Rajnath Singh

Stating there is no dearth of leaders in Uttar Pradesh, Singh said that his party would form the government with a “clear majority”.

Amidst speculation just ahead of the national executive meet over home minister Rajnath Singh being projected in UP, party leaders have been evasive on the issue saying there were several leaders capable of leading BJP.

The BJP also has to reconstitute the national executive soon and is expected to add more representation from the North-East and southern states where it hopes to expand in the future.

Indications are while he may not be declared as the chief minister candidate, he could be placed as the “third angle” of a triangle consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

CBI sources said the 81-year-old Chief Minister appeared for questioning at the agency headquarters here. “If state government demands a CBI probe, we are ready for it”, he said.

Many believe that the party needs to project a leader to counter Mulayam Singh Yadav-led SP and Mayawati-led BSP, two leaders with wide appeal.

Rajnath, who had helmed the state election in 2002 as chief minister, failed to deliver a win. Though the Samajwadi Party leader won the election, Ramakant Yadav emerged as the BJP’s most prominent Yadav face in UP.

The two-day BJP conclave is all set to begin in Allahabad in the shadow of uncertainty over the question of the party’s chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh.

Posters depicting the three MPs – Smriti Irani, Varun Gandhi and Yogi Adityanath – have been periodically spotted in Uttar Pradesh. “What is happening in the party is unfortunate”, Saroj, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste called Passi, told Scroll.

However, party spokesman Shrikant Sharma said “such decisions are taken at the Parliamentary Board meeting which is usually held in Delhi”.

This weekend BJP’s national executive meeting is going to be held in Allahabad and there the party is likely to decide about Rajnath Singh’s role in UP with respect to the assembly polls to be held early next year. “But on the other hand when the scribes repeatedly asked about the issue, the former UP CM said”, Though the matter has not been in consideration yet but if the leadership gives me any responsibility, I won’t shy away from it”.