In Uttar Pradesh, the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is keen to break a 10-year-old tradition of state politics. Unlike his immediate two predecessors, current Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi would seek direct election to become a member of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, who served as the chief minister of the state from 2012 to 2017, and Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati, the chief minister from 2007 to 2012, were members of the state’s Vidhan Parishad, or Legislative Council. Neither contested a direct election after ...