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As the excitement for Uttar Pradesh elections intensifies, a new and big stir has started within the Bharatiya Janata Party. Due to the 7 'rebel' MLAs who gave a big blow to the Samajwadi Party (SP) and joined the BJP during the elections, now there is panic in the BJP's own camp. These seven veteran leaders, who rebelled against SP and joined BJP, now want to contest elections from their respective seats on BJP tickets.

However, this path does not seem so easy for BJP. On the seats where these rebels are staking their claim, BJP's own old and loyal leaders have been toiling for years. In such a situation, the biggest question arising is, whom will the high command accept and whom will it persuade? Let us understand in very simple language what equations are being created on these 7 hot seats of UP and why there is a lot of movement from Delhi to Lucknow.

1. Amethi (Gauriganj): Rakesh Pratap Singh vs Matiyari, who will win?

The contest on the high-profile Gauriganj seat of Amethi has reached a very interesting turn. Current MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh, who was expelled from SP, had openly supported BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections. Recently he has met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, which clearly indicates that he is preparing to contest the elections on BJP ticket.

On the other hand, former BJP candidate Chandra Prakash Mishra alias 'Matiyari' is also presenting his strong claim on this seat. Matiyari had to face defeat from Rakesh Pratap in the 2022 elections. Now the big dilemma facing BJP is that if they bet on rebel Rakesh Pratap, then how will they convince their old leader Matiyari? The party will have to accommodate him on MLC or some other post, otherwise the local Brahmin equation may get disturbed.

2. Ayodhya (Goshaiganj): Strong fight between Abhay Singh and 'Khabbu' Tiwari.

Goshaiganj assembly seat of Ayodhya has been in discussion since the beginning. Abhay Singh, who won on SP ticket, has also tried to almost confirm his claim on BJP ticket by meeting Amit Shah.

But here former BJP MLA Inder Pratap Tiwari i.e. 'Khabbu Tiwari' is also trying his best. Khabbu Tiwari had defeated Abhay Singh on BJP ticket in 2017. Due to legal hurdles, his wife Aarti Tiwari had contested the elections in 2022 and stood second. Khabbu Tiwari's strong hold among Brahmin voters is considered to be a major reason behind BJP's spectacular victory in the recent Milkipur by-election. In such a situation, the party will hardly take the risk of ignoring Khabbu Tiwari, because it can affect the entire Brahmin vote bank of Ayodhya and Ambedkar Nagar.

3. Badaun (Bisauli): Ashutosh Maurya and Kushagra Sagar face to face

SP's rebel MLA Ashutosh Maurya from Bisauli seat of Badaun district is now desperate to enter the election field holding the lotus of BJP. However, Kushagra Sagar, son of former MLA Yogendra Sagar, is standing as a strong challenge to him.

Kushagra had won this seat for BJP in 2017 and came second in the very tough contest in 2022. Now the challenge before the BJP high command is whether they should trust their old party colleague Kushagra or bet on rebel Ashutosh from SP.

4. Jalaun (Kalpi): Vinod Chaturvedi will face Chhote Singh.

The real fight on Kalpi seat is between SP rebel Vinod Chaturvedi and Chhote Singh, the candidate of Nishad Party (BJP alliance) in 2022.

In the 2022 elections, Vinod Chaturvedi defeated Chhote Singh by a very narrow margin of just 2,800 votes. Now that Vinod Chaturvedi himself has joined the BJP camp, handling Chhote Singh's claim and Nishad Party's alliance mathematics together will prove to be a big litmus test for the BJP leadership.

5. Ambedkar Nagar (Jalalpur): Father-son strategy and claims of old veterans

The political story of Jalalpur seat is a little different from other seats. SP rebel Rakesh Pandey is the MLA from here. Even though Rakesh Pandey was not seen in the recent public meeting of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his son Ritesh Pandey was prominently present on the stage. Ritesh Pandey has been an MLA on BSP ticket in 2017 and it is believed that he is staking claim for BJP ticket for himself or his father.

On the other hand, former SP MLA Subhash Chandra Rai, who contested the 2022 elections on BJP ticket, and Rajesh Singh, who was the BJP candidate in 2017, are also strongly in the race.

6. Rae Bareli (Unchahar): Is Manoj Kumar Pandey's path completely cleared?

Former senior SP leader and current minister Manoj Kumar Pandey is considered to have a deep influence on the Unchahar seat of Rae Bareli. In 2022, he defeated BJP candidate Amarpal Maurya by more than 6,000 votes.

Adopting a clever strategy, BJP has already sent Amarpal Maurya to Rajya Sabha and has also made him the National President of BJP OBC Morcha. This political decision clearly indicates that BJP can easily field Manoj Kumar Pandey from Unchahar. There seems to be very little possibility of internal rebellion here.

7. Kaushambi (Chail): Pooja Pal and BJP's OBC card

SP's rebel MLA Pooja Pal's claim on the Chail seat of Kaushambi is considered very strong. Pooja Pal has also been given the big responsibility of State Vice President in Uttar Pradesh BJP Working Committee in June 2026.

Pooja Pal has a good influence among the OBC community in the entire area of ​​Prayagraj and Kaushambi. In 2022, he defeated Apna Dal (S) candidate Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel by more than 13,000 votes. In such a situation, BJP would like to strengthen its hold in this entire region by fielding him in the election field.

What is the biggest test before BJP?

These 7 rebels from SP have strengthened the BJP clan, but at the time of elections, these rebel leaders seem to be becoming a 'thorn in the neck' for the party. On one hand, there are the rebel leaders who have helped BJP on important occasions, while on the other hand, there are the old and loyal workers who have been sweating on their respective seats for the last 5 years.

If BJP distributes tickets to the rebels, there is a risk of huge dissatisfaction and rebellion among the old loyalists. At the same time, if the rebels do not get tickets, then the trust of the new comrades may be broken. Now it will be interesting to see how the top leadership of BJP calms down this 'ticket war' and whom it fields in the electoral battle.