BJP Set to release its Lok Sabha Candidates' List Today: Sources

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is reportedly preparing to disclose the first list of candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections later today, according to sources. The announcement, which could include over 170 names but may exclude any from Tamil Nadu and Odisha, is expected to be made at a BJP press conference at 6 pm.

The list, likely to feature prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, follows consecutive late-night meetings in Delhi. The BJP may also reveal new partners within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC), including PM Modi who chaired the meeting, convened on Thursday night to finalize the initial list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, anticipated to take place in April-May. The incumbent party aims to announce its Lok Sabha candidates prior to the Election Commission's election schedule announcement.

The meeting was attended by state leaders including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat's Bhupendra Patel, Madhya Pradesh's Mohan Yadav, Chhattisgarh's Vishnu Deo Sai, Uttarakhand's Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Goa's Pramod Sawant. State leaders typically participate in the CEC meeting when candidates for their respective states are under discussion.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan, who was also present at the meeting, is expected to run from Vidisha. The list might also include 50 names for Uttar Pradesh seats, with actor-turned-politician Hema Malini likely to be nominated again from her constituency, Mathura.

According to sources, the BJP plans to announce the majority of its candidates well in advance of the election dates to put pressure on its competitor, the Congress-led INDIA bloc, which is currently encountering difficulties in seat-sharing arrangements in several states.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekar could potentially challenge Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is an MP from Thiruvananthapuram, indicating a significant contest.

The BJP is expected to follow its recent assembly polls template and announce a large number of seats in the first list where it needs to improve its prospects. The BJP's candidate lists often give a chance to new faces, and this time around, it will be interesting to see whether it drops some well-known names or experiments with its nominee selection. This is particularly significant as two BJP MPs - Jayant Sinha and Gautam Gambhir - requested BJP president JP Nadda today to relieve them so that they can focus on their other commitments.