Outgoing MLA welcomes BJP's decision to field Adityanath from of Gorakhpur Urban seat

Outgoing BJP MLA from Gorakhpur Urban Assembly seat Radha Mohan Das Agarwal has welcomed the party's decision to field Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from the seat in upcoming state polls. Agarwal has been an MLA on the seat since 2002.

"I am a BJP worker and welcome the decision of the party," he said late on Saturday night.

Releasing the first list of 107 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the BJP on Saturday fielded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur Urban seat and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu in Kaushambi.

Except for Adityanath and Maurya, all the names are for 105 of the 113 seats which will go to the polls in the first two phases on February 10 and February 14.

While there was speculation that Adityanath may be fielded from Ayodhya, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the party decided to put him in the fray from Gorakhpur, his traditional political turf which he has represented in Lok Sabha for five consecutive terms.

Asked about the issue, Pradhan said the chief minister was willing to contest from any of the 403 seats in the state.

This is the first time Adityanath will contest Assembly polls.

Adityanath was a five-term Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur. He and Maurya are currently members of the state's Legislative Council.