BJP's CEC meeting ends; first list of candidates to be out in a day or two

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National President JP Nadda and many other top leaders attended the party's Central Election Committee meeting on Sunday to finalise its candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly polls.

After the end of the meeting, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai said that the party will announce the list of candidates for the assembly polls in a day or two, ANI reported.

CM Bommai also announced that he is contesting from the Shiggaon constituency.

Talking to the media persons, Basavraj Bommai said, "We discussed the overall list for the Karnataka elections and probably we will sit again tomorrow. The list will be announced tomorrow or the day after that. I am contesting from the Shiggaon constituency".

The single-phase elections are scheduled for May 10.

Union minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other members of the CEC were joined by senior party leaders, including Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, as they deliberated on the names of probable candidates.

The BJP, which aims to come back to power again in the southern state, has set a target of winning at least 150 of the 224 seats.

The party's main rival is the Congress which has also expressed confidence about coming back to power in the state.

The core group of the BJP in Karnataka have shortlisted three names for each Assembly seat, which are being placed before the Central Election Committee, sources informed news agency ANI.

On April 4, the BJP's core group in Karnataka drew up a shortlist of candidates in a meeting with the party's national general secretary Arun Singh, state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, co-in-charge Mansukh Mandaviya, Central Election Committee member Annamalai, former chief minister Yediyurappa and his successor and incumbent Basavaraj Bommai.