What is causing the delay in BJP releasing its first list for Karnataka

The BJP's list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections is yet to be announced.

The list at first was expected over the weekend, and later reports said that it may come out by Monday. However there is speculation rife at the moment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not in favour of giving tickets to children of sitting MLAs and MPs. The party is expected to hold more deliberations before the list can be announced in day or two.

During the BJP's Central Election Committee meeting held on Sunday, the PM is said to have insisted that he was not in favour of giving tickets to children of sitting MPs and MLAs. He had said that he would prefer to give tickets to party workers.

There is speculation that this may have upset former Karnataka chief minister, B S Yediyurappa, who has been vying for a ticket for his son, B Y Vijayendra.

Yediyurappa is said to be miffed with the fact that his son would not get a ticket. Even during a meeting with BJP president, J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, similar concerns were voiced about not giving tickets to the children of sitting MLAs and MPs.

During the meeting, Yediyurappa was insistent that his son be given a ticket from Shikaripura, the constituency that he has been contesting from. He also is said to have demanded tickets for 15 of his followers. The proposal to give a ticket to his son was apparently shot down by the Prime Minster, which is said to have upset the senior Karnataka BJP leader.

During the meeting, the party is said to have finalised the names of 175 candidates. However there were certain disagreements on the remaining 49 seats. The BJP is likely to first come out with the list of 175 by tomorrow and then release the rest the list of the rest of the candidates, sources tell OneIndia. However, the source added that the issue remains with the names of the children of the sitting MLAs, which the party is not keen on favouring. The party has maintained that it does not indulge in dynasty politics and hence accommodating the children may divert its stand.