
The BJP is anticipated to unveil its initial roster of contenders for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections later today, according to sources familiar with the matter. The announcement, slated for a BJP press conference at 6 pm, follows a series of late-night meetings held in Delhi in recent days. Alongside the candidate list, there is speculation that the BJP might also disclose new allies within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
On Thursday night, the BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, convened to finalize the initial list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, anticipated to occur in April-May. The party aims to announce its candidates prior to the Election Commission’s announcement of the poll schedule. The CEC gathering was attended by prominent leaders from various states, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat’s Bhupendra Patel, and others. Typically, state leaders participate in the CEC meeting when discussing candidates for constituencies within their states.
According to earlier reports, the BJP is expected to reveal over 100 names in the initial list, encompassing prominent figures such as PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Allegedly, the party’s strategy involves naming most candidates well in advance of the poll dates to exert pressure on its main rival, the Congress-led INDIA bloc, which is encountering obstacles in seat-sharing negotiations in several states.
Sources suggest that the BJP is likely to replicate its approach from recent assembly polls by announcing a significant number of seats in the initial list, particularly in regions where it seeks to bolster its electoral prospects. The BJP’s candidate selection process often introduces new faces, and attention is drawn to whether it will exclude some well-known figures or explore new avenues in candidate selection. This aspect gains significance as two BJP MPs, Jayant Sinha and Gautam Gambhir, have reportedly requested party president JP Nadda to relieve them from their parliamentary duties to focus on other commitments.