All eyes are on the first BJP list of candidates that is likely to be announced on Wednesday.
The BJP Central Election Committee held a series of meeting with state core groups and among themselves late Tuesday night and deliberated in details on the names of the party nominees.
The first list of candidates which is likely to carry most of the party’s nominees for the first two phases.
There could be major surprises in the BJP list for Uttar Pradesh – where the saffron party along with its ally Apna Dal had won 73 seats in 2014.
This time around, there are hints that at least 20-25 sitting MPs may be deprived their tickets.
As many as 91 seats across the country including UP, Assam and West Bengal will go the polls on April 11 in the first phase, while voting for 97 parliamentary constituencies will take place on April 18 in the second phase.
Karnataka polls will be held in two phases – April 18 and April 23. The BJP CEC leaders also mulled over the names of candidates for Karnataka.
In a major decision Chhattisgarh BJP on Tuesday decided that all 11 sitting MPs from the state should be replaced.
A proposal to this effect was given by the party’s core committee for polls in Chhattisgarh to the BJP Central Election Committee which is holding its meeting here.
The BJP CEC meet was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders including party chief Amit Shah. “We will bring new 11 faces and will all 11 seats,” said Chhattisgarh BJP in charge Anil Jain.
There are indications that senior leaders L K Advani, M M Joshi, B C Khanduri and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari may not be given party tickets or some of them may opt out themselves.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has already announced that owing to health reasons, she may not contest the elections.
In tune with the party decision in 2014, the BJP is all set to name Union Minister Smriti Irani from Amethi while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh are set to contest from Varanasi and Lucknow respectively.
In Odisha, for first phase all eyes will be on Kalahandi, Koraput, Berhampur and Nabrangpur.
Crucial voting for parliamentary elections in constituencies like Outer Manipur, Tripura West, two seats – Shillong and Tura in Meghalaya and one seat each in Mizoram and Nagaland would also take place on April 11.
