“No such decision has been taken as of now. Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and party president Amit Shahji will take the final call," he said.
After a thumping victory in Assam, the BJP's campaign machinery is focusing on Uttar Pradesh, where polls are scheduled to be held next year. Winning in UP, the largest state in the country, is holds significance for the saffron party, especially after a devastating debacle in Bihar and Delhi Assembly polls, where it lost out to the Grand Alliance (JD-U, RJD and Congress) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), respectively.
Political analysts suggest that the absence of a CM candidate was one of the major reasons for the party's poor show in the politically-sensitive Bihar. Hence, the core team of the BJP is working on selecting a winnable and popular CM face for UP.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the party's ideological parent, feels that the BJP should field a popular local face in the crucial election. According to top sources the BJP, the party is 'considering' Irani as she enjoys the trust of both PM Modi and the RSS.
But opposition over fielding Irani comes from a faction in the BJP, led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his cabinet colleague Sushma Swaraj. However, in all likelihood Finance Minister Arun Jaitely might bat for Irani.
Meanwhile, state BJP workers want fire-brand leader Varun Gandhi as the CM candidate. Grassroot level cadres feel that Irani had lost to Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, whereas Varun
Gandhi enjoys a mass popularity and knows in and out of Uttar Pradesh.