LS polls: Modi chairs BJP meet to finalize 1st list
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s late-night meeting of the Central Election Commission (CEC) held to finalize the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP chief JP Nadda were among those who attended the meeting. The meeting, which began around 10:30pm on Thursday, lasted for more than four hours and was held at the party's headquarters in Delhi.
Why does this story matter?
The first list will be significant since the ruling BJP has set a lofty goal of capturing 370 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and is working to secure 400 for the National Democratic Alliance. An early announcement of candidates would give the nominees around 50 days to campaign. To recall, the BJP used a similar technique during last year's Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, where it declared 39 candidates for the most difficult seats, over three months before the polls.
PM holds separate meeting with Shah, Nadda
According to reports, the party is likely to name a significant number of candidates ahead of the announcement of the poll dates. This decision is expected to exert pressure on the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which is currently in the process of finalizing seat allocations. The first list has been drawn up by the 550-plus members of the CEC. Notably, after the poll committee's session, PM Modi held a separate meeting with Shah and Nadda at his home.
The BJP's post on the CEC meeting
First list to prioritize 'weak' seats
The first list may prioritize seats in South India, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Maharashtra, regarded as "weak" due to the party's 2019 election performance. Selections for Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu were delayed due to ongoing alliance talks with the Akali Dal, the Telugu Desam Party, the Jana Sena, and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The BJP has shortlisted three candidates for each seat and plans to unveil contenders for over 50% seats by March 10.
Candidates decided based on 'winnability survey'
As per the NDTV, candidates have been chosen based on the party's "winnability survey," aiming to identify the most suitable candidate for each seat considering the population matrix. The strategy was also employed during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when the BJP announced 164 candidates weeks before the election dates were revealed. Meanwhile, the Congress is actively negotiating seat-sharing agreements in Maharashtra, with the Maha Vikas Aghadi expected to meet in Mumbai soon.
