UP BJP Denies Viral Claims of Preparing 209 Candidate List for Polls

The Uttar Pradesh BJP has officially denied viral media reports claiming a list of 209 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections has been prepared, terming the allegations baseless, fabricated, and a conspiracy.

UP BJP Denies Viral Claims of Preparing 209 Candidate List for Polls

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 15 (ANI): The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday outrightly rejected media reports and claims alleging that a list of 209 candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections had been prepared and sent to the party's central leadership.

In a press release jointly signed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and UP BJP State President Pankaj Chaudhary, the party termed the circulating reports "completely false, baseless, imaginary, and fabricated." "For the past few days, certain media outlets, individuals, and institutions have been continuously circulating news regarding an alleged list of 209 candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Uttar Pradesh, being prepared and sent to the central leadership in the context of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. This is completely untrue, baseless, imaginary, and fabricated. The BJP outrightly refutes this fake and false news," the statement read.

The party clarified that neither the BJP nor the state leadership has prepared or forwarded any such list to the central leadership. Emphasising that the BJP is a disciplined and cadre-based political party, the release stated that there is a well-structured, democratic, and fully organisational process laid down for selecting candidates for Assembly or any other elections, adding that the process has not even begun yet.

Describing the reports as a "well-planned conspiracy," the statement alleged that certain elements appear to be spreading fabricated rumours with the intention of creating confusion, uncertainty, and an atmosphere of fear among loyal party workers. The UP BJP appealed to all its office-bearers, workers, and the general public not to trust such factless and misleading reports in any manner, and to consider only information released through the party's authorised platforms as authentic.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh BJP President Pankaj Chaudhary denied reports that the party had finalised the names of 209 candidates for the 2027 Assembly elections, saying he had not held any such meetings and that the BJP follows a collective decision-making process. “I do not know the source of this news... As the State President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, I have not held any such meetings with anyone,” Chaudhary said, speaking to the reporters.

Explaining the party's candidate selection process, he said, “Before a ticket is finalised, input and suggestions are gathered from the district and regional levels. These are then brought to the state level, where our Core Committee and Election Committee deliberate on them. The matter is subsequently forwarded to Delhi, where the Parliamentary Board makes the final decision—this is our established process.” He said that he did not wish to comment on reports being circulated without any confirmation. “If someone circulates such news, I would prefer not to comment on it. The BJP has followed a consistent system for the past 50 years: decisions are made through an organisational framework, involving collective consultation and consensus,” he said. Chaudhary further said, “The BJP is not a family-run party where a single individual can make such decisions; rather, the process is entirely collective.”