The Central Election Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to meet at the party headquarters in Delhi at 10 am on Thursday to decide its seat strategy for the February-March assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be among the attendees.
For the first time, such a meeting of the party will be held in a hybrid manner instead of the regular physical form, as several members of the committee have tested positive for Covid. Those infected with the virus include BJP national president JP Nadda, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Bihar minister Shahnawaz Hussain.
Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, who recently tested positive for COVID, has reportedly turned negative and is likely to attend the meeting physically.
State leaders including UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and party’s state president Swatantra Dev Singh will also be present.
Since the Prime Minister will be attending the meeting, all members of the CEC have been asked to conduct RT PCR tests and those found positive must be present virtually.
The national capital witnessed a marathon meeting of the party’s state core unit for a few days this week, in which participants gathered from 11 am to 8 pm.
Sources say it has been discussed and barring a few seats, the core group is able to shortlist candidates for most of the seats on which BJP will contest the UP elections.
Once the Central Election Committee (CEC) finalizes the list, the party will be in a position to announce the names of the candidates. The first round of seven-phase polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, when polling will begin from the western part of the state.
The members of the BJP Parliamentary Board that are part of the CEC are: Narendra Modi, JP Nadda, BL Santosh, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Besides him, those who are part of the committee include Shahnawaz Hussain, former Union minister Jual Oram and the party’s women’s wing chief Vanathi Srinivasan.
read all breaking news, today’s fresh news And coronavirus news Here.
,