Express News Service
NEW DELHI: More than nine months are still left for the next Lok Sabha election, but the BJP is learnt to have made a comprehensive plan to decide on the candidates for over 150 seats, which it had lost in the past few elections in different states.
“We are working on it and are almost confident of winning at least 350 LS seats in 2024. The party may finalise the names of candidates in a very prudent manner for more than 155 seats where our candidates lost either in 2014 or 2019. This is likely to be done in order to give ample time for the candidates to work in their respective constituencies,” said a senior BJP functionary.
The BJP’s think tank on elections has reportedly identified 155-160 LS seats where the party had lost despite giving a tough contest to rivals and came in as second best in the previous elections. “All the pros and cons of defeats have been studied. Keeping all the facts in mind, LS constituencies identified as weak are considered on top priority for the 2024 LS election.
As part of this, there may be early announcement of names of strong candidates for these seats across different states, including in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and south Indian states,” explained a party source, adding that work on the ground through a slew of outreaches have already started across weak constituencies placed under categories ‘C’ and ‘D’.
If everything goes as per plan, the saffron party may release the names of candidates for these LS seats by October or the first week of November. Sources added the BJP is all set to hold a meeting in this regard on September 1 at the party headquarters with the attendance of Home Minister Amit Shah, the party’s national president JP Nadda and over a dozen Union ministers in charge of the states concerned.
Sources said that almost all Union ministers, who are in charge of states and national office-bearers, have been tasked with the preparation of reports on their beats to be presented at the meeting so that a timely decision can be taken on the candidates for these seats. According to sources, out of the identified 155-160 LS seats, 50 per cent are in South India, followed by states such as Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
As per the last LS election results, the BJP had lost 16 LS seats in UP in 2019, but later it won two seats in bypolls. For UP, general secretary Sunil Bansal has been assigned with the task of seeing the lost LS seats, while Union minister Giriraj Singh oversees the Chhindwara LS seat on which Congress candidate Nakul Nath in MP has won the election.
In Bihar, which holds more political significance after UP in north India, the BJP had won only 17 out of 40 LS seats in 2019. “This time, general secretary Vinod Tawade has been assigned with the task of ensuring victory on the remaining LS seats through proper election campaigns and candidates’ selection,” informed a source.
NEW DELHI: More than nine months are still left for the next Lok Sabha election, but the BJP is learnt to have made a comprehensive plan to decide on the candidates for over 150 seats, which it had lost in the past few elections in different states.
“We are working on it and are almost confident of winning at least 350 LS seats in 2024. The party may finalise the names of candidates in a very prudent manner for more than 155 seats where our candidates lost either in 2014 or 2019. This is likely to be done in order to give ample time for the candidates to work in their respective constituencies,” said a senior BJP functionary.
The BJP’s think tank on elections has reportedly identified 155-160 LS seats where the party had lost despite giving a tough contest to rivals and came in as second best in the previous elections. “All the pros and cons of defeats have been studied. Keeping all the facts in mind, LS constituencies identified as weak are considered on top priority for the 2024 LS election.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
As part of this, there may be early announcement of names of strong candidates for these seats across different states, including in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and south Indian states,” explained a party source, adding that work on the ground through a slew of outreaches have already started across weak constituencies placed under categories ‘C’ and ‘D’.
If everything goes as per plan, the saffron party may release the names of candidates for these LS seats by October or the first week of November. Sources added the BJP is all set to hold a meeting in this regard on September 1 at the party headquarters with the attendance of Home Minister Amit Shah, the party’s national president JP Nadda and over a dozen Union ministers in charge of the states concerned.
Sources said that almost all Union ministers, who are in charge of states and national office-bearers, have been tasked with the preparation of reports on their beats to be presented at the meeting so that a timely decision can be taken on the candidates for these seats. According to sources, out of the identified 155-160 LS seats, 50 per cent are in South India, followed by states such as Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
As per the last LS election results, the BJP had lost 16 LS seats in UP in 2019, but later it won two seats in bypolls. For UP, general secretary Sunil Bansal has been assigned with the task of seeing the lost LS seats, while Union minister Giriraj Singh oversees the Chhindwara LS seat on which Congress candidate Nakul Nath in MP has won the election.
In Bihar, which holds more political significance after UP in north India, the BJP had won only 17 out of 40 LS seats in 2019. “This time, general secretary Vinod Tawade has been assigned with the task of ensuring victory on the remaining LS seats through proper election campaigns and candidates’ selection,” informed a source.
