BJP starts selection of candidates for UP polls

New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the BJP today started the process of selecting its nominees for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls scheduled for April-May.

The committee, consisting of top BJP leaders Atal Behari Vajpayee, L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu and Murli Manohar Joshi have started the process of selecting the candidates for the Assembly constituencies.

The meeting to select its candidates started at 1700 hrs. The BJP is likely to come out with its list only tomorrow, party sources said.

BJP leaders said the party, having struck an electoral understanding with Apna Dal and Janata Dal (United), will contest 350 odd constituencies, out of a total of 403 seats and will leave the rest for its allies.

Law and order, corruption, malgovernance, price rise and freeing the administration from the 'goonda' elements will be the issues the party would be taking up besides treading a hard Hindutva line ahead of the elections.

UNI