Ahead of crucial state assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released the first list of its candidates for both states.
This is the first time the party has released a list before the Election Commission of India has announced the dates for the polls.
A total of 21 candidates have been announced for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly, and 39 for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh house.
BJP's First List of Candidates for Chhattisgarh State Assembly Polls
© Photo : Twitter/@BJP4India
BJP Releases First List of Candidates for Madhya Pradesh State Assembly Elections
© Photo : Twitter/@BJP4India
The list of candidates for both states comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with the Central Election Committee of the party.
Media reports, citing sources, said the decision was taken with a motive to identify friction within the ranks and resolve issues well in advance.
In the list for Chhattisgarh, the BJP included five women, 10 Scheduled Tribe candidates, and one Scheduled Caste candidate, whereas for Madhya Pradesh, the party announced five women, as well as 13 Scheduled Tribe and eight Scheduled Caste members.
The party, in the first list for Chhattisgarh, did not include the names of former state chief Raman Singh and some senior members, while the list for Madhya Pradesh doesn’t feature state chief Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The early release of the list of candidates is seen as an effort by the party to prevent another debacle after Karnataka state, where it suffered a defeat earlier this year.
Apart from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, other states where state assembly elections are slated to be held later this year include Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram.