Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Central Election Committee (CEC) concluded its second meeting in the national capital late on Monday night, finalizing approximately 90 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as per party sources. The meeting, held at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, saw the participation of key leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda.
The finalized list of candidates, spanning seven states, is anticipated to be officially announced by the party in the near future, according to sources. Attendees at the meeting included Union Ministers Anurag Thakur, Prahlad Joshi, Nityanand Rai, party MPs, state leaders, and chief ministers.
Discussions during the CEC meeting covered Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana. However, due to ongoing coalition talks in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, finalizing candidate lists for these states may experience some delays.
In Gujarat, discussions encompassed all 11 remaining seats, with names for seven seats already confirmed. Madhya Pradesh’s discussions led to a consensus on four out of five remaining seats. Deliberations were conducted for 25 seats in Maharashtra, eight seats in Telangana, and all 28 seats in Karnataka, where the JD(S) is likely to secure three seats. Additionally, discussions for all four seats in Himachal Pradesh were held.
Proposed alliances with parties such as JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party, AIADMK, JJP, and BJD in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisha, respectively, are still pending seat-sharing arrangements.
On March 2, the BJP released its initial list of 195 candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the list, seeking re-election from Varanasi. The list featured 34 ministers from the Center and states, along with two former chief ministers. In the 2019 elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 303 seats, with the Lok Sabha polls expected to take place between April and May this year.
