New Delhi: The Central Election Committee of the BJP convened a late night meeting on Thursday which went on till at least 4 am on Friday to finalise the first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to sources, the BJP is likely to announce the names of heavyweight candidates in the first list, including Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Insiders within the party indicated that the initial list of candidates, potentially comprising around 160 names, is likely to be unveiled either before or during the weekend. Notable personalities like former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari were also part of the deliberations.
Glimpses from BJP Central Election Committee Meeting being held at party headquarters in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/qu7rp5DQ5j
— BJP (@BJP4India) February 29, 2024
BJP President J P Nadda and senior Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh were among the prominent figures who attended the meeting. The timing of this meeting coincides with the preparations of all political parties for the announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates, expected to fall in April-May.
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Key leaders from various states, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat’s Bhupendra Patel, and Madhya Pradesh’s Mohan Yadav, were present at the meeting. The discussions also saw the participation of leaders such as Chhattisgarh’s Vishnu Deo Sai, Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Goa’s Pramod Sawant.
A significant portion of the seats targeted by the BJP to bolster its electoral prospects, particularly those unsuccessfully contested in 2019, may feature in the initial candidate lists.
State units of the BJP have already commenced submitting their suggestions for candidates to the central leadership.
The timing of this meeting is noteworthy, coming on the heels of the BJP’s remarkable performance in the recent Rajya Sabha elections. The party secured 10 out of 15 seats across Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh, significantly enhancing its presence in the Upper House. In contrast, the Congress managed to secure three seats, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) clinched two.
The BJP’s robust showing in the Rajya Sabha elections has propelled it within striking distance of a majority in the Upper House, further underscoring the significance of the party’s candidate selection process for the impending Lok Sabha polls.
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