BJP plans NDA expansion to win 400 seats
BJP has announced candidates for 195 seats spanning across 16 states and two union territories
New Delhi: Amid the BJP top brass' efforts to expand the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and enhance its prospects for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party's central election committee(CEC) held its second round of discussion on Monday.
Attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CEC, sources said held deliberation on names of candidates from states where seat-sharing formula with allies are yet to be made official. The BJP is abuzz that the ruling party, in a show of strength, could host a formal gathering of leaders of the expanded NDA with Prime Minister Modi in attendance.
Sources said the CEC, chaired by BJP president J.P. Nadda, discussed names of candidates from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Union territory of Chandigarh. Attendees included Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, former Karnataka CM B.S. Yeddyurappa, Iqbal Singh Lalpuria, Om Mathur, and other CEC members, alongside core group leaders representing states whose candidates were under discussion.
Ahead of the CEC session, Dushyant Chautala of the JJP, a BJP ally in Haryana, held talks with the BJP president. Reports suggest that the JJP is eyeing two out of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, particularly Hisar and Bhiwandi-Mahendragarh.
Though a section of Haryana BJP leaders has been opposed to the alliance, the party seems to be exploring its options carefully. The BJP had won all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the previous 2019 elections. The JJP had allied with the party after Assembly polls.
The latest addition to the BJP-led NDA is the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by N. Chandrababu Naidu, with ongoing negotiations also involving Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
As of now, the BJP has announced candidates for 195 seats across 16 states and two Union territories. However, two of them — Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh and Upendra Rawat — withdrew after their choices sparked controversies.
Mr Shah and Mr Nadda have been conducting a series of meetings with party leaders from various states to finalise lists of potential candidates before the CEC makes its ultimate decisions. Additionally, they have been engaging with leaders of alliance partners, including the recently joined TDP, to further expand the NDA alliance and formalise seat-sharing arrangements.