BJP leaders hold daylong deliberation to finalise Karnataka poll candidates

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including from Karnataka held a daylong deliberation to finalise candidates for the state assembly polls, incorporating in their discussions the suggestions made at the recent BJP Central Election Committee meeting.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president J P Nadda, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, his predecessor B S Yediyurappa and other leaders from the state attended these meetings. Shah later left for Arunchal Pradesh while other leaders continued the deliberations.

Bommai had on Sunday said after the CEC meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave some directions. The CM told reporters on Monday that the party is working on various inputs. He, however, did not elaborate on the nature of directions or inputs.

After attending a meeting at Nadda’s residence, Yediyurappa rejected the speculation that he was unhappy with the candidate-selection exercise and praised the party leadership.

There is a view that the opinion of Yediyurappa, who remains the party’s foremost leader in Karnataka, for various seats is at variance with some other senior leaders. Yediyurappa said the first list of about 170 to 180 candidates for the May 10 elections to 224-member assembly is expected soon.

Noting that the nomination process for the polls begins from April 13, a party leader said there is no hurry to name the candidates and the BJP will analyse various equations before announcing the names.