In anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up to unveil a significant portion of its candidate roster, with reports suggesting as many as 100 names may be disclosed on Thursday. Among the prominent figures anticipated to feature in this list are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, according to insider sources.
Scheduled possibly for February 29, the Central Election Committee of the BJP is expected to convene, followed by the announcement of the initial candidate lineup. This unveiling holds considerable weight as the ruling party has ambitiously targeted securing 370 out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, with aspirations for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to claim 400 seats overall.
Prime Minister Modi currently represents the Varanasi constituency, having triumphed in two consecutive elections. His victory margins have been noteworthy, reaching 3.37 lakh votes in 2014 and expanding to 4.8 lakh in 2019. Meanwhile, Amit Shah contested and won the Gandhinagar seat in 2019, previously held by BJP stalwart LK Advani.
Simultaneously, the BJP is actively strategizing for the elections in five states, notably Uttar Pradesh, which contributes the largest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha. The Uttar Pradesh deliberations witnessed the presence of key figures such as Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and other prominent leaders. In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 62 out of the state’s 80 seats.
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Following the Uttar Pradesh discussions, attention will shift to West Bengal, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. Chief Ministers Bhajan Lal Sharma of Rajasthan and Vishnu Deo Sai of Chhattisgarh are currently in New Delhi for these strategic meetings.
Insiders indicate that the focus will be on constituencies where the BJP perceives itself to be less formidable, with early announcements expected for candidates in those areas.
