The focus is shifting to Delhi in the ruling BJP as the party’s Parliamentary Board that is meeting in New Delhi on April 8 is expected to clear the first list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections.
The lobbying for tickets has intensified as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai too is expected to visit Delhi on April 7 to be available for consultations with the party high command.
Parliamentary Board member B.S. Yediyurappa and National Organising General Secretary B. L. Santhosh would be present at the meeting in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Party National President J. P. Nadda would take part. Mr. Bommai, BJP National General Secretary and state in-charge Arun Singh and State poll in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan too would be there.
Core committee meeting
The BJP State Core Committee is said to be in the final stage of shortlisting the probable candidates as it has to forward the names to the Central Election Committee by Wednesday. The core committee held its meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday to discuss this.
Speculation is rife that the first list of candidates may have anywhere from 120 to 150 names though the State leaders say that the size of the list would depend on consensus. While district units of the party have taken up a polling exercise to decide on candidates, the final call would be taken by the party Central unit based on various other parameters including the outcome of multiple surveys in the State to analyse the winning potential of ticket aspirants, sources said.
Though the speculation of the BJP high command keeping many sitting MLAs out of poll contest had gripped the party earlier, sources in the party said most of the sitting MLAs were bound to get party tickets barring a few.
To quell rebellion
The party high command is said to have adopted a cautious approach with respect to candidates’ selection in the wake of ticket aspirants in a host of constituencies represented by its sitting MLAs demanding that the incumbents should not be given tickets. The Central leadership is said to be keen on quelling competition to prevent it from snowballing into a rebellion. Senior leaders from different regions are being given the responsibility of handling rebellion if any. Both the Congress and JD(S) have announced their first list of candidates.
While filing of nominations is set to commence on April 13, April 20 is the last day for filing nominations.