BJP Parliamentary Board meeting delayed, likely tonight

The BJP Parliamentary Board meeting that was scheduled to be held on Saturday evening, to decide on the party’s first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections, was postponed due to the non-availability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

The BJP Parliamentary Board meeting that was scheduled to be held on Saturday evening, to decide on the party’s first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections, was postponed due to the non-availability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

Mr. Modi was touring Telangana and Tamil Nadu and landed in Mysuru on Saturday night. The board’s meeting will likely happen on Sunday night after he returns to Delhi or on Monday, sources in the party said. 

In the meanwhile, Central leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president J.P. Nadda and BJP general secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh, were huddled with State leaders in Delhi at Mr. Nadda’s residence over selection of candidates. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, State party chief Nalin Kumar Kateel, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Mansukh Mandaviya, and in-charge of party affairs in State Arun Singh were part of the deliberations. 

“The Prime Minister will not go into the nitty-gritties of candidate selection. It is at these meetings that most of the list will be finalised and presented for approval before the Parliamentary Board,” a senior BJP leader said. Sources said that the meetings were considering the list of three candidates suggested by party workers in the poll held recently, the shortlist and recommendation by the State core committee, and independent surveys that the party high command conducted in all the 224 constituencies, to select candidates. While there has been speculation that many sitting MLAs may lose ticket, sources in the party said it was unlikely. 

Several BJP ticket aspirants are camping in Delhi trying to lobby for themselves. However, most of them have been in the dark as the leaders had been holed up in marathon meetings at Mr. Nadda’s residence. Keeping their fingers crossed, most of them are waiting for the Parliamentary Board meeting to be held. 

The party is targeting to announce the candidates for at least 150 constituencies in its first list, which will likely be announced on Monday night, party sources said.