In a strategic move to maintain its electoral edge ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Central Election Committee (CEC) is slated to convene today at the party’s headquarters in the heart of the national capital.
According to sources within the party, the meeting aims to finalize candidates for several additional Lok Sabha constituencies, a crucial step in solidifying the BJP’s electoral prospects. Representatives from the party’s allies within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), hailing from states like Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, and Bihar, are expected to attend. The discussions are anticipated to revolve around seat-sharing arrangements between the BJP and its coalition partners.
In a recent development underscoring the BJP’s growing influence, four prominent leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and one from the Congress formally joined the BJP ranks in a ceremony presided over by Tarun Chugh, the party’s general secretary, in New Delhi. Among the notable defectors were former Members of Parliament Godam Nagesh and Sitaram Naik, alongside former Members of the Legislative Assembly Saidhi Reddy and Jalagam Venkat Rao.
This meeting follows the BJP’s earlier announcement on March 2, wherein the party unveiled its initial list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Topping the list is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is poised to contest for a third consecutive term in the Lower House from Varanasi, a symbolic stronghold for the party. Notably, among the candidates announced, 34 hold ministerial positions at the Center and in various states, while two are former chief ministers.
The stakes are high, particularly considering the BJP-led NDA’s resounding victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, wherein they secured a formidable tally of 303 seats, significantly surpassing their closest rival, the Indian National Congress, which secured only 52 seats.
As the BJP’s CEC convenes today, the political landscape braces for further developments as the party strategically positions itself for yet another electoral showdown, seeking to consolidate its hold on power and shape the trajectory of Indian politics in the coming years.
