The BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting is slated to be held today evening at the party headquaters in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel is expected to discuss the names of the candidates for the second list. Earlier on March 2, the saffron party had announced the first list of 195 candidates from 16 states that will be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. As per media reports, it is expected that BJP will release second list of 150 candidates by this weekend.
Here's lets have a look at important Lok Sabha seats that may be mentioned in the BJP's 2nd list of candidates:
Nagpur: Senior BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari is expected to be fielded from the Nagpur seat in the BJP's 2nd candidates list. Earlier this month, while speaking with reporters, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated: "(Nitin) Gadkari is our prominent leader. He contests from Nagpur. When the first list of candidates (of BJP) was released, there had been no discussions among Mahayuti partners (BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP)....When the discussions take place, Gadkari ji's name would come up first (in the candidates' list)."
Pilibhit: Uncertainity looms over Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat, as it is still not sure that if the BJP's current MP from the seat Varun Gandhi will get the ticket or not. He won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Pilibhit, defeating his nearest competitor Hemraj Verma of the SP by more over 3 lakh votes. He won in Pilibhit in 2009 and Sultanpur in 2014.
Sultanpur: Suspense reigns over the Sultanpur seat, where eight-time MP and former Union minister Maneka Gandhi is seeking re-election to the Lok Sabha for the unprecedented ninth time. Maneka won the 2019 Lok Sabha election by more over 10,000 votes over her nearest challenger, BSP's Chandra Bhadra Singh.
Kaiserganj: The seat is represented by six-term MP Brij Bhusan Sharan Singh, who was recently accused of sexual harassment by female wrestlers. In wake of the allegations, the BJP may not issue Brij Bhushan a ticket and instead field his son Prateek Bhusan Singh, the current BJP MLA from Gonda. However, the final decision will be known after BJP's 2nd candidates list is out.
Wardha: Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule is likely to get the ticket from the Wardha constituency.
Bengaluru Rural: The BJP has so far shortlisted three candidates for the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency for the 2024 general assembly polls, according to the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, news agency PTI reported. "We have a strong candidate to contest from Bengaluru Rural. We have recommended three candidates. One among them will contest (on a BJP ticket)," the former Deputy Chief Minister told reporters. He stated that the one who will be contesting from Bengaluru Rural will be a surprise candidate.
Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg: Narayan Rane is expected to run from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg in the Konkan area. The Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency has become a source of conflict between the BJP and its coalition partner, Shiv Sena. Earlier this month, Narayan Rane claimed the seat, stating in a post on X that only the "BJP will contest this seat". In response to Rane's post, Ramdas Kadam, a Shiv Sena leader and former MP, questioned whether the party wanted to eradicate all tiny parties and survive on its own.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Bhagwad Karad, Minister of State for Finance, is expected to represent Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Recently, Amit Shah addressed a large gathering in the Lok Sabha seat. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar will have its first election after being renamed from Aurangabad, a decision that MP Imtiaz Jaleel has strongly opposed.