Lok Sabha elections-2024: BJP likely to release names of about 100 candidates next week; which names will figure?

In anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections-2024, the BJP is expected to release the names of approximately 100 candidates on Thursday. Reliable sources suggest that the list will prominently feature Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Central Election Committee of the BJP is scheduled to convene on February 29, with indications pointing towards the subsequent release of the initial candidate list. This first list assumes significance as the ruling party has set an ambitious target of securing 370 out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and is striving for a total of 400 seats for the NDA.

Prime Minister Modi, a two-time MP from Varanasi, secured substantial victories in 2014 and 2019, with vote margins of 3.37 lakh and 4.8 lakh, respectively. In the 2019 elections, Amit Shah contested and won from Gandhinagar, a seat previously held by BJP stalwart LK Advani.

BJP is conducting a series of meetings to formulate election strategy for five states

Simultaneously, the BJP is conducting a series of meetings to formulate the election strategy for five states, including Uttar Pradesh, which contributes the highest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha. The Uttar Pradesh meeting witnessed the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and Minister Dharampal Singh. In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 62 out of the state's 80 seats.

Following the Uttar Pradesh meeting, discussions will focus on election strategies for 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 deliberations.

Sources indicate that attention will be given to constituencies where the BJP is perceived to be less strong, and an early announcement of candidates for those seats is anticipated.

Emphasizing the significance of the next 100 days, Prime Minister Modi, in a recent address at the party's national convention, urged BJP leaders and workers to diligently work towards achieving the goal of winning 370 seats, with the broader aim of crossing the 400-seat mark for the NDA.