The Bharatiya Janata Party's crucial meeting regarding shortlisting the names of candidates for the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections is underway in Jaipur. Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda chaired the meeting, with the presence of party National Organisational General Secretary BL Santosh and other state leaders.
The first round of the meeting ended at midnight, and according to the sources, in the second round, a one-to-one meeting with state leaders is underway. Sources said the BJP may adopt a Madhya Pradesh-like strategy by fielding senior leaders and MPs in the elections.
Earlier on Tuesday, the BJP, in the second list of 39 names for Madhya Pradesh elections, included three Union ministers, four MPs, and a national general secretary in a state where it is facing tough competition from Kamal Nath-led Congress.
This meeting serves as a platform to gather feedback from the state-level BJP leaders, discussing the atmosphere following the recent Parivartan Yatra (Transformation Rally). Additionally, the meeting delves into outlining the roadmap for upcoming events related to the elections. Speculation is rife that discussions on the first list of BJP candidates and the timing of candidate announcements will also be on the agenda.
Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the BJP is contemplating the adoption of the Madhya Pradesh formula for Rajasthan. The party is gearing up to field 4 to 5 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the state elections. Regional leaders, who hold significant influence in their respective communities, are expected to take the lead in these electoral endeavors.
Responsibility assigned to leaders from other states
As part of the election strategy, leaders from other states have been entrusted with specific responsibilities in Rajasthan. For instance, Delhi MP Pravesh Verma is assigned Jodhpur rural, Punjab State President Sunil Jakhar is entrusted with Sikar, Union Minister Jitendra Singh with Jaipur city, Haryana MLA Mahipal Danda with Hanumangarh, Haryana State President Sandeep Joshi with Churu, BJP leader from UP Jugalkishor is given Jaipur rural North, former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Nirmal Singh is responsible for Jaipur rural South, and former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Kavinder Gupta is assigned Dausa.
Announcement of candidates and candidate selection under discussion
It is anticipated that discussions on BJP's first list of candidates for the Rajasthan Assembly elections will also take place during this meeting. There may be deliberations on when to release the list of candidates. Additionally, discussions surrounding election management, particularly related to the core committee, are likely to be a part of the agenda.
Rajasthan is set to hold Legislative Assembly elections later this year. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the "Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha" in Jaipur, organised to mark the conclusion of four transformation rallies across all 200 assembly constituencies in the state.
Declaration of candidates imminent
Earlier this week, BJP's election in-charge for Rajasthan, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, stated that the party would soon announce its candidates for the upcoming elections. He also accused Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of tarnishing the state's dignity. Joshi emphasised that the BJP was confident of securing a resounding victory in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Rahul Gandhi has already accepted that they are losing in Rajasthan."
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