Mid-Night Meet for LS polls; BJP anticipated to reveal Candidate List!

After extensive overnight meetings in Delhi, attention is now focused on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it prepares to unveil its initial candidate list for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Although awaiting official confirmation, reports suggest the list may feature around 100 names, including notable figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The party’s strategists, led by Shah and Nadda, conducted a series of discussions with state leaders to compile the list of potential candidates prior to the final decision by the Central Election Committee (CEC).

The CEC convened at the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi, starting at 11 PM on Thursday and concluding at 4 AM today. Senior leaders gathered to deliberate and finalize the initial roster of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary polls. BJP President J P Nadda, along with Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, were present at the meeting as the party aims to nominate candidates for a substantial portion of the 543 Lok Sabha seats before the Election Commission (EC) announces the election schedule.

The said elections are lined up to be conducted between April & May. Leaders from various states, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Gujarat’s Bhupendra Patel, attended the meeting to discuss candidate selections. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari also participated in the discussions. State leaders attended the CEC meeting to discuss candidates for constituencies within their respective states.

A significant number of seats targeted by the BJP for improvement following unsuccessful bids in 2019 may feature in the initial candidate lists, drawing from recent Assembly polls’ patterns. Several Union ministers, such as Bhupender Yadav, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Mansukh Mandaviya, are expected to contest in the general elections after the party opted not to renew their Rajya Sabha terms during recent biennial polls. The BJP’s candidate lists often attract attention not only for new faces but also for notable exclusions. Observers are keen to see if the party opts for fresh faces or maintains continuity with established names in its nominee selection process.

[Image Source: NDTV]