Stakes are high as results will be out in couple of hours from now in the recently concluded assembly elections in five states. All eyes are on India's largest state Uttar Pradesh which is considered as key and the results will be viewed as referendum to all parties ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Now that almost all exit polls predicting virtual sweep for BJP, now speculation is increasing on who will be the BJP CM candidate if it wins UP. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is the second most important leader after PM Modi. Many expected him to be the CM of UP if the party wins.
His clean image is the added advantage but some say Rajnath would be made CM only if BJP fails to get the magic figure 202 seats. But the question is will Rajnath Singh leave the most important and High Profile job of the Home Minister to settle for UP CM?
Keshav Prasad Mourya is state BJP president and is from Maurya caste, the llargest demographic segment in non Yadav OBCs. He enjoys good relations with all top brass of RSS leaders and also PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. He conducted the highest number of rallies and campaigned in around 206 assembly constituencies. But only draw back is he has many criminal cases against him.
Dinesh Sharma is from RSS and is a brahmin face of BJP. He is the mayor of Lucknow and the party vice president in UP and also has important position in Gujarat BJP. He is close to PM Modi and Modi attended Ramlila in Lucknow last October on his invitation. However he has been mostly behind the scenes person.
Yogi Adityanath is the firebrand leader of the party and is the MP from Gorakhpur. His comments always created controversies. He has been in ABVP during his student years. He has been demanding CM post for long but will Modi and Shah prefer him?
Manoj Sinha is from Bhumihar caste and is from Gazipur region. He has been the state railway minister and earned praises from PM Modi himself. However he has no support base in the party.
