Many sitting BJP MPs in UP may be denied tickets for Lok Sabha election 2019 over poor performance: Sources

Many sitting BJP MPs may be denied tickets for Lok Sabha election 2019 over poor performance, say sources.

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi-Amit Shah-powered Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to repeat its Gujarat model in Uttar Pradesh for the coming Lok Sabha election 2019 by replacing dozens of its sitting MPs with new faces.

News agency IANS quoted party sources as claiming that over 30 sitting MPs in Uttar Pradesh may be denied ticket on the grounds of performance.

The sources claimed that a crucial discussion on fielding new candidates in the Lok Sabha election was held at the residence of BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday night. 

The meeting was also attended by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputy Dinesh Sharma and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the sources added. 

During the meeting, which lasted for over two-and-half hours, the top leaders deliberated over the strategy to be followed for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.  .

In the recent past, the BJP leadership had dropped enough indications about denying tickets to MPs who were perceived to have been unable to perform. 

The party would like to try new faces to beat incumbency. The new faces could include MLAs and ministers in the state.

The BJP had earlier followed the same trend in Gujarat where it replaced its sitting MLAs with new faces in the Assembly polls.

Last year, the BJP had released the report cards of its ministers and MPs. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was tasked to prepare the report card of the party MPs in the state. 

The sources said the leaders also discussed the party's preparedness in the state ahead of the parliamentary polls.

For BJP, Uttar Pradesh is a crucial state since it sends a maximum of 80 MPs to Parliament. 

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had won 71 and its ally Apna Dal two in the state. 

(With IANS inputs)