Kaushambhi (UP), Feb 3 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday filed his nomination papers from the Sirathu Assembly segment in Kaushambhi district.

BJP president J.P. Nadda and Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel were present when Maurya filed his nomination papers.

Nadda said that he was confident of Maurya winning his seat with a huge margin and the BJP would win over 300 seats.

Anupriya Patel also conveyed her good wishes to the deputy chief minister.

Maurya had won the Sirathu seat for the first time for BJP in 2012. After Maurya got elected from Phulpur in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party's Vachaspati won the Sirathu seat in the bypoll.

In 2017, however, the BJP's Sheetla Prasad defeated Vachaspati and won back the seat.

This time, Maurya will be pitted against SP's Pallavi Patel, the estranged sister of Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel.

Earlier, talking to reporters, Keshav Prasad Maurya exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win the Assembly elections even if Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress came together.

Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The counting of votes will be done on March 10.