Lucknow, Jan 7 (IANS): The Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) that is making its electoral debut in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, has switched to the digital mode in the prevailing Covid situation and has sought applications online from candidates wanting to contest the elections.

According to the party spokesman, those interested can apply on the website of the party and the applications will be scanned to sort out 'talented' candidates. The selection will be finalised by national president of the party Mukesh Sahni, a minister in the Bihar government.

There are broad parameters on which the candidates will be judged, the foremost being that one should not be tainted but 'talented' to win the elections.

While doing away with tainted ones would be easy, how the party will gauge the talent of the candidate is yet to be defined, especially for the ones who have not been in public life.

National spokesperson of the party, Dev Jyoti, said that the party website has received close to 61 applications so far since it opened.

"By talent, we mean the candidate's ability to win over people, which can translate into votes for the party. Education is not a priority. Applications are open to the unlettered ones also," he added.

The party will contest 165 seats in the Nishad-dominated districts of Purvanchal, Bundelkhand-the land of late Nishad leader Phoolan Devi-and a few districts in central Uttar Pradesh.

The party will continue to receive applications till nominations for the last phase are filed.

It is apparently hopeful that it will get disgruntled candidates who fail to get a ticket from parties like BJP and Nishad party.

VIP is fighting for Nishad reservation in the state.

On Phoolan Devi's death anniversary, it tried to install her statues in 18 divisional headquarters of UP, but its attempts were thwarted by the government.

It has also distributed 50,000 busts of Phoolan Devi and held Nishad Janchetna rallies.

In June, it opened a party office in Lucknow and appointed office-bearers.