With the Lok Sabha polls approaching, the BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) held a late-night meeting at its headquarters in Delhi on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the discussions regarding the first list of candidates.
The meeting began around 10:30 pm on Thursday and lasted for over four hours, as reported by news agency PTI.
BJP president J P Nadda and Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh were present at the meeting. This gathering occurred as all parties prepare for the announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates.
The elections are anticipated to take place in April-May. Leaders from various states, such as Yogi Adityanath, Bhupendra Patel, Mohan Yadav, Vishnu Deo Sai, Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Pramod Sawant, attended the meeting.
#WATCH | BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting concludes; Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda leave from the BJP headquarters, in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/xOM8KmrNns
— ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024
Insiders revealed that the first list of candidates, expected to include around 160 names, could be announced this week before or on the weekend.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Diya Kumari were also in attendance.
The BJP may focus on seats it aims to win back after losing them in 2019, aligning with recent Assembly polls strategies, as per PTI sources.
Glimpses from BJP Central Election Committee Meeting being held at party headquarters in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/qu7rp5DQ5j
— BJP (@BJP4India) February 29, 2024
The state units of the BJP have started submitting their candidates’ suggestions to the central leadership.
The meeting follows the BJP’s success in the recent Rajya Sabha elections, where they won 10 out of 15 seats in UP, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh, inching closer to a majority in the Upper House.