In a first, BJP announced first list of candidates for Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, even before election dates are announced

The election dates aren’t announced as yet but BJP has released the first list of candidates for two states- Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, where elections are due this year. This the first time that BJP as a political party has released the names of candidates even before the election dates are announced.

BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting happened on Wednesday in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by BJP President J P Nadda and attended by PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. A day later, The party has announced 21 candidates for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly and 39 for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh House. While Congress is in power in Chattisgharh, in Madhya Pradesh BJP formed government in 2020.

BJP has recently suffered a poll debacle in Karnataka where congress came to power. There are 5 more states going to polling by end of 2023 including Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Mizoram. BJP sources say the decision to announce candidates in advance “is part of a strategy to realise the fissures within the state units, if any and if candidate list would create any differences, then the party can act on them”.

With months to go for the all important 2024 Lok Sabha elections, every election result could have a bearing on the general elections.