BJP Karnataka Strategizes with CEC for Lok Sabha Candidate Selection Amidst Coalition Dynamics

GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 6th March. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Karnataka unit, along with the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC), is intensively engaged in the selection process to nominate candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the southern state. Given the alliance between BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular), seat allocation poses a significant hurdle, particularly for parties that suffered defeat in the state’s assembly elections last year.

Yediyurappa, the seasoned BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, affirmed that the candidate list is slated for completion by Friday.

Presently in the national capital for the CEC sessions spanning the next three days, he emphasized, “The CEC meetings will be conducted for the next three days, and candidates will be finalized by Friday. We will wait and see who will make it into the list.”

The BJP’s concerted efforts in Karnataka reflect an ambitious objective, aiming to secure at least 25 seats in collaboration with the JDS coalition.

Despite the release of the initial list comprising 195 candidates from 16 States and Union Territories on March 2, no names have emerged from Karnataka.

HD Kumaraswamy, the former Chief Minister and JDS leader, has reportedly engaged with the BJP high command in Delhi, signaling a strategic collaboration as JDS joins the NDA fold. Speculations suggest his candidacy for the Mandya Lok Sabha seat.

In a notable development, Sumalatha Ambareesh, the sitting MP from Mandya, recently conferred with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reaffirming their alliance and indicating her intent to contest from Mandya.

In contrast, the Karnataka unit of the Congress party is yet to unveil its roster of candidates for the impending Lok Sabha elections.
Karnataka, 28 Lok Sabha seats, witnessed BJP’s dominance in the 2019 elections with 25 victories, while the Congress and independent candidates secured one seat each.