Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday reached BJP National President JP Nadda's residence in Delhi for a parliamentary board meeting of the party to discuss and finalise the list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls. Karnataka BJP president Nalinkumar Kateel, former Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and other leaders are also present at Nadda’s residence, as reported by the news agency ANI.






The saffron party will hold its Central Election Committee meeting on Sunday, ANI reported citing sources. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nadda, Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP general secretary BL Santosh and members of the party's Central Election Committee will be present at the meeting.


The core group of the BJP in Karnataka has shortlisted three names for each Assembly seat which will be placed before the Central Election Committee. The party's central leadership will then brainstorm over these names before locking the candidates, ANI reported citing party sources.


The BJP's core group in Karnataka on April 4, shortlisted candidates in a meeting with the party's national general secretary Arun Singh, state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, co-in-charge Mansukh Mandaviya, Central Election Committee member Annamalai, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and his successor and incumbent Basavaraj Bommai.


The BJP emerged as the largest single party in the last Assembly elections, winning 104 seats, with the Congress winning 80 and the JD(S) 37 seats. The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had on March 29 this year announced the poll schedule for the election of the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The state will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. The term of the current Karnataka Legislative Assembly is set to end on May 24 this year.


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Earlier speaking to reporters, Karnataka CM Bommai said on Saturday that a discussion over candidate selection for 224 assembly constituencies would take place in the core committee meeting of the BJP.


"Today, an important meeting is to be held under the guidance of BJP national president JP Nadda. During this meeting, a discussion over candidate selection for 224 assembly seats will be done. And tomorrow Parliamentary board of the party is also meeting," the Karnataka chief minister said, as quoted by ANI.