BJP vets candidates, final list ina day or two

Party may drop some sitting MLAs in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and MP again and field some Union ministers and MPs

- RAJESH AUBAR THAKUR

AMID speculation that the BJP may release the names of party candidates for assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on Monday, the party’s apex decision-making body — the Central Election Committee (CEC) — brainstormed over the final selection of candidates on Sunday.

The CEC, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance at the party headquarters, went through the details of candidates, including their profiles and winnability factors.

According to sources, the CEC, which comprises Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda among others, discussed the names of probable candidates and held wider deliberations on the electoral strategy for the three states.

The crucial meeting of CEC lasted more than 45 minutes, during which Modi also dwelt upon the strategy to be adopted for winning elections in the three states, sources said.