NEW DELHI: In a late-night session on Monday, the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) concluded its second meeting at the party headquarters in Delhi. The focus of the meeting was the finalization of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with approximately 90 names being approved across seven states, according to party sources.
The meeting, attended by key leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda, deliberated on candidates from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana.
Among the notable attendees were Union Ministers Anurag Thakur, Prahlad Joshi, Nityanand Rai, and other prominent figures like Sushil Modi, Kishan Reddy, and various state leaders.
Sources indicate that discussions were centered around finalizing candidates for all 11 seats in Gujarat, with seven names already confirmed. In Madhya Pradesh, talks concluded with consensus on four out of five seats, while discussions for 25 seats in Maharashtra, eight in Telangana, and all 28 in Karnataka were also part of the agenda. The JD(S) is expected to secure three seats in Karnataka, as per sources.
However, ongoing coalition talks in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha might cause delays in finalizing candidates for these states, the sources noted.
The BJP had released its initial list of 195 candidates on March 2, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the pack, seeking his third consecutive term from Varanasi. The list included 34 ministers from the Center and States, along with two former chief ministers.
As the BJP and its allies gear up for the upcoming polls, negotiations for seat-sharing arrangements with parties like JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party, AIADMK, JJP, and BJD are still underway.
The Lok Sabha polls, expected to be held between April and May this year, will see the BJP seeking to maintain its strong position after securing 303 seats in the 2019 elections, leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a decisive victory.
The meeting, attended by key leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda, deliberated on candidates from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana.
Among the notable attendees were Union Ministers Anurag Thakur, Prahlad Joshi, Nityanand Rai, and other prominent figures like Sushil Modi, Kishan Reddy, and various state leaders.
Sources indicate that discussions were centered around finalizing candidates for all 11 seats in Gujarat, with seven names already confirmed. In Madhya Pradesh, talks concluded with consensus on four out of five seats, while discussions for 25 seats in Maharashtra, eight in Telangana, and all 28 in Karnataka were also part of the agenda. The JD(S) is expected to secure three seats in Karnataka, as per sources.
However, ongoing coalition talks in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha might cause delays in finalizing candidates for these states, the sources noted.
The BJP had released its initial list of 195 candidates on March 2, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the pack, seeking his third consecutive term from Varanasi. The list included 34 ministers from the Center and States, along with two former chief ministers.
As the BJP and its allies gear up for the upcoming polls, negotiations for seat-sharing arrangements with parties like JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party, AIADMK, JJP, and BJD are still underway.
The Lok Sabha polls, expected to be held between April and May this year, will see the BJP seeking to maintain its strong position after securing 303 seats in the 2019 elections, leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a decisive victory.
