In preparation for the eagerly anticipated Lok Sabha elections of 2024, India’s primary political contenders, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party, are deeply engrossed in the process of finalizing their candidate lists. In a strategic move designed to fortify their electoral prospects, both parties are slated to hold crucial meetings of their respective poll committees on Monday to deliberate upon the candidates for the remaining seats.
The BJP, taking decisive steps towards the elections, will assemble its central election committee at the party HQ in Delhi on Monday evening. This pivotal meeting, which is expected to feature prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh among other influential leaders and state representatives, aims to discuss candidates and consolidate the party’s position following the release of its first list. This initial list announced candidates for 195 constituencies and was characterized by the noteworthy exclusion of over 20% of its current MPs, reflecting a strategic reshuffling of the party’s electoral representation.
Similarly, the Congress party is aligning its chess pieces for the electoral battle. The Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) is scheduled to convene at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi, with the meeting anticipated to be presided over by the Party National President Mallikarjun Kharge. Key Congress members including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are also expected to be in attendance, signifying the importance of the discussions on selecting candidates for key states. Unlike the BJP, which has yet to announce its candidates in states like Karnataka, the Congress has been proactive in disclosing its first list of 39 candidates.
Amidst these strategic maneuvers by the parties, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is facing its own challenges with the recent resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and the previous vacancy left by Anup Chandra Pandey’s retirement, leading to a pressing need to fill these positions expediently. The Commission is under pressure to appoint two new commissioners before the expected announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates, which is anticipated to occur in April-May this year. Former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has indicated that a clearer picture of the BJP’s candidates in Karnataka will emerge following the upcoming election committee meeting.