Uttar Pradesh will vote in seven phases starting February 10
Two Uttar Pradesh BJP leaders want to contest from the same Lucknow seat. They also happen to be husband and wife which puts the party in a double bind.
UP Minister Swati Singh, who is the sitting MLA, and her husband Dayashankar Singh, expelled for abusing BSP chief Mayawati and reinducted into the party in 2017, want to contest from the same Sarojini Nagar seat.
Mr Singh, a prominent leader from Ballia, was the vice president of the party's state unit before he was expelled in July 2016.
The hoardings are ready but resting in Minister Singh's house as the BJP is yet to decide who will contest from the seat. Her husband, now back with the party, refuses to back down.
"Last time I got her to contest, this time I will. I am a worker of the party, will do what is asked of me," said Mr Singh.
Mrs Singh, who is also the head of the BJP women's wing, had come to prominence after she launched a campaign against BSP leaders who had raised slogans against her minor daughter following her husband's use of derogatory words for Ms Mayawati.
The BJP in 217 decided to field her from the Sarojini Nagar seat.
Faced with the ticket quandary, the BJP has been stalling.
"The tickets are given after a lot of deliberation. The person whose name the survey throws up will be given the ticket," said Rakesh Tripathi, spokesperson, BJP.
The strife between the couple has reached such proportion that the two are living separately.
It is to be seen how the BJP resolves this Catch-22 situation.
Uttar Pradesh will vote in seven phases starting February 10. The votes will be counted on March 10.