Nadda-led panel to select Karnataka BJP candidates

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the central election committee meeting (CEC) of the BJP to decide names of candidates for the impending Karnataka Assembly elections, core group leaders from the state, including chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, former CM B.S. B.S. Yeddiyurappa, state unit chief Nalin Kumar Kateel and BJP national secretary C.T. Ravi on Saturday met BJP president J.P. Nadda at his residence in the national capital. Union home minister Amit Shah also attended the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the CEC, which is likely to meet on Sunday. The last date for filing nominations for May 10 polling is April 20. Results will be declared on May 13. The main Opposition Congress has already released two lists of candidates and has been taunting the ruling party over the "delay" in announcing its candidates, claiming that the announcement by the BJP will lead to infighting in the party.

Before the discussions started, Mr Bommai said, "We will discuss all probable candidates. We have district-wise and constituency-wise details and recent survey outcomes. Keeping all that in mind, we will have a detailed discussion with the party's national leaders."

The BJP, which aims to return to power again in the southern state, has set a target of winning at least 150 of the 224 seats.

Asked if the entire list will be announced in one go, Mr Bommai said barring a few names, the rest may be announced after getting the CEC’s approval.

Among those who attended the meet also included Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Mansukh Mandaviya, who are the BJP’s incharge for the Assembly elections in the state, as well as national general secretary and state incharge Arun Singh.

Other than the main Opposition Congress and the JD(S), other parties like the Karnataka Rashtra Samithi, the Aam Aadmi Party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and the Social Democratic Party of India too have announced their first and second lists. The Congress has announced candidates for 166 out of the total 224 seats, while the JD(S) has announced a list of 93 candidates.