Former party president Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and former Assembly speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi, both belonging to Allahabad, do not want to contest. Joshi had represented Allahabad for three consecutive terms till he lost to Reoti Raman Singh of the Samajwadi Party in 2004.

While Joshi wants to contest from Varanasi, Tripathi has expressed his unwillingness to contest at all.

“It’s indeed a crisis the party is facing in Allahabad. Dr Joshi chose Varanasi and Kesari Nath Tripathi and Dr N K S Gaur (former minister) refused to contest from Allahabad. In their absence, it is difficult to find a strong candidate,” said party in-charge for Lok Sabha elections Kalraj Mishra on Friday.

While the party does not know who to field from Allahabad, in neighbouring Phoolpur and Kaushambi too, it has failed to find strong candidates.

It has fielded Karan Singh Patel from Phoolpur, who does not even belong to the area and Gautam Chaudheri from Kaushambi. Both are little-known figures.

Mishra accepted the party had no option but to choose “a better candidate from the lesser-known leaders” for Allahabad.