BJP finalises single names for 150 seats

The two-day meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 16-member strong State Election Committee concluded on Tuesday with single names for 150 seats being finalised while a panel of candidates was formed for the remaining 80 seats for Madhya Pradesh’s 230 Assembly constituencies.

Those in the know of the development informed that on the first day of the meet one name each was determined for about 80 constituencies. The deliberations continued till late night and nominees’ names for approximately 130 constituencies were discussed. Meanwhile, BJP general secretary and State incharge Ananth Kumar who arrived here on Monday held discussion with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, State president Narendra Singh Tomar and organisational general secretary Arvind Menon, the sources further said.

It said that the line-up would be presented at the Central Election Committee in Delhi on Thursday. After that Committee’s concurrence, the names would be announced. The first list may be made public on Thursday evening or Friday.  On Monday, names were first discussed for those constituencies where legislators or Ministers against whom there are almost no complaints and negligible protest at the local level are to be granted tickets. Next, those constituencies were taken up where there are more than one strong claimants.

Due to considerable anger against some Ministers, several MlAs and their kin at the local-level, the State organisation is in favour of denying tickets to at least 40 legislators. However, that seems no easy task due to the activity of the MlAs concerned and their satraps. Strategists’ concerns have slightly increased as many claimants’ supporters staged demonstrations and even reached the State headquarters. The saffron party is contesting the polls under the leadership of Chouhan whose work is being publicised. An anti-incumbency factor exists at the local level.

Political observers feel that a major challenge for the Chouhan-Tomar-Menon troika is to dovetail with the opinions of former State president Prabhat Jha and ex-chief minister Uma Bharti. lok Sabha’s leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj who represents Vidisha is “annoyed” over about half-a-dozen of her supporters being denied tickets and told them that she would take up the issue after the list reaches the national capital.

Submission of nomination papers is to commence on Friday and would conclude on November 8. Polling is scheduled for November 25.