Uma Bharti to contest UP assembly poll

New Delhi: BJP today fielded its prominent OBC leader Uma Bharti from Charkari assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh assembly poll but refused to say whether she will be projected as the chief ministerial candidate. BJP President Nitin Gadkari announced the candidature of Bharti from the assembly seat in Mahoba district of the state. “There had been talks that Bharti should be fielded in the assembly elections. I met her today and decided to field her in the elections,” Gadkari said. [caption id=“attachment_186986” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“BJP President Nitin Gadkari announced the candidature of Bharti from the assembly seat in Mahoba district of the state. Reuters”]  [/caption] Asked whether she will be the Chief Minister if BJP comes to power in UP, he said the decision will be taken by the MLAs who get elected after in the polls. He said former CM Rajnath Singh, Bharti and party veteran Kalraj Mishra and Surya Pratap Sahi will lead the party campaign together in the state where BJP had won 48 seats in the last elections in 2007. Bharti told reporters here that the priority of the party is to come to power in the state and make it into “Uttam Pradesh”. She termed as “unconstitutional” the 4.5 percent sub quota for minority within the 27 per cent quota for OBCs. “While the minority should get education and employment, it should not be at the cost of OBCs. They have been deprived of their rights,” she said. Gadkari was keen on giving nomination to Bharti to woo OBC votes. There has been a lot of speculation about Bharti’s non-participation in BJP’s election campaign in UP so far in the wake of reports about her being miffed over the party’s decision to induct Babu Singh Kushwaha, another OBC leader, who quit BSP. Last year in June, Bharti had rejoined BJP nearly six years after her expulsion. Fifty-two-year-old Bharti was expelled on the charge of indiscipline and defying the BJP’s central leadership in December 2005. Bharti had then formed her own outfit Bhartiya Janshakti Party. PTI