BJP CEC likely to meet on Oct 17 to discuss remaining candidates for Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh

New Delhi [India], October 16 (ANI): BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) is likely to hold a meeting on October 17 and 19 at the party headquarters to discuss the names of the rest of the candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, sources said on Monday.

“The party is likely to hold two final meetings for the rest of the candidates on 17th and 19th October. Presently the screening committee is working on the candidates, and after the exercise, it will recommend names to the CEC. The first list of the candidates from Telangana is supposed to come before October 22. Also, the party is working on a strong manifesto for all five states,” a party source said.

The party source further stated that it is planning to field senior BJP leaders in Telangana.

“Like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the party is planning to field big leaders in Telangana as well,” a source told ANI.

In Chhattisgarh the BJP has announced 85 of the 90 candidates for the assembly polls. In Madhya Pradesh the party has announced candidates for 136 of the 230 seats, while in Rajasthan the party has come out with one list of 41 candidates of 200 seats in the assembly.

Many Lok Sabha MPs and minister in the Union government have been given tickets to contest the assembly elections, prominent among them are Union Minister Narendra Tomar and Pralhad Patel from MP and Lok Sabha MP Rajyavardhan Rathore in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has announced that the first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 7, and the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on November 17.

Polls will be held in Mizoram on November 7, Chhattisgarh on November 7 and November 17, Madhya Pradesh on November 17, Rajasthan on November 25 and Telangana on November 30.

The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all the states. Of the five states, polling in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of poll dates. The elections to five states are crucial as they are being held months before the Lok Sabha elections in April-May next year.