New Delhi: To bolster its chances for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and achieve the ambitious "400 paar" target, the top BJP leaders intensified efforts to expand the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). As part of this strategy, the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) convened for its second round of meetings on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the attendees of the CEC meeting, which reportedly focused on deliberations regarding potential candidates from states where seat-sharing arrangements with allies are yet to be finalised. Speculation is rife within the BJP circles that an official gathering of leaders from the expanded NDA might be organised by the ruling party, serving as a demonstration of unity and strength, with Prime Minister Modi slated to participate.
According to insider sources, chaired by BJP president J.P. Nadda, the CEC discussed candidate nominations from key states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union territory of Chandigarh. Notable attendees included Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh, former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Iqbal Singh Lalpuria, Om Mathur, alongside other CEC members and core group leaders representing states where candidate nominations were under consideration.
Prior to the CEC meeting, Dushyant Chautala, representing the BJP ally Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in Haryana, held discussions with BJP president Nadda. Sources indicate that the BJP is eyeing two out of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, specifically Hisar and Bhiwandi-Mahendragarh.
Despite internal dissent within certain factions of the Haryana BJP regarding the alliance, the party appears to be assessing its strategic options. In the previous 2019 elections, the BJP secured victories in all ten Lok Sabha seats in the state. The alliance with the JJP was forged subsequent to the Assembly polls.
The latest addition to the BJP-led NDA is the Telugu Desam (TD) led by N. Chandrababu Naidu, while discussions with Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are also underway.
As of now, the BJP has announced candidates for 195 seats spanning across 16 states and two union territories. However, controversies emerged surrounding the selections of Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh and Upendra Rawat, leading to their withdrawal.
Additionally, efforts are underway to negotiate seat-sharing arrangements with alliance partners, including the recently joined TD, as part of the broader strategy to expand the NDA alliance.
