Continuing its unfinished task of finalising the LokSabha list of candidates, the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) again met here on Wednesday and scrutinised the list of candidates for Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
According to sources, the names a major chunk of candidates, particularly those contesting in the first phase, would be out only on Friday (March 22) evening, post-Holi. The party is yet to release its first list of candidates despite three rounds of intensive discussions, virtually burning the midnight oil.
This is the third time since last week that the BJP top leaders including Prime Minister NarendraModi and Party president Amit Shah held a marathon meeting to give a green signal to the list of candidates for various states. The first phase of voting is on April 11 and most of the opposition parties are out with the names of their candidates.
With winnability in mind, the top BJP leadership is set to drop many a veteran MPs to overcome the crucial anti-incumbency factor against them. Constituencies of a number of MPs have also been changed , factoring new situations, sources said.
BJP has already decided to drop all sitting MPs from Chhattisgarh and sought a fresh list of candidates from the state unit.
The BJP CEC discussed 91 seats going to polls in first phase on April 11 which are spread over 20 states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal , Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha and Uttarakhand. The last date of filing nomination is March 25 and the last date withdrawal of nomination is March 28.
Among the constituencies which would vote in the first phase include eight in UP, five in Uttarakhand, four in Bihar, Seven in Maharashtra, five in Assam, four in Odisha and two in West Bengal.
The second phase of poll on April 18 involves 97 LokSabha constituencies including 13 states.
Third phase on April 23 (115 constituencies, 14 states), Fourth phase on April 29 (71 constituencies, 9 states), Fifth phase on May 6 (51 constituencies, 7 states), Sixth phase May 12 (59 constituencies, 7 states) and the last Seventh phase on May 19 (59 constituencies, 8 states). The counting of votes would be on May 23 when results would also be announced.
Two of the sitting BJP MPs and party seniors SushmaSwaraj and Uma Bharti have volunteered to not to contest LokSabha polls. But BJP is open to field some of the veterans past 75 years if they chose to contest poll.
