Kolkata: Initial discussion to shortlist names of the party candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls started at BJP chief J.P. Nadda' residence on Thursday.
Senior leaders from the state, party in-charge and co-in-charge for West Bengal were attending the meeting. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reached Nadda's residence.
BJP national vice president Mukul Roy, national general secretary and state in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, co-in-charge Arvind Menon, state unit president Dilip Ghosh, and former close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former minister Suvendu Adhikari were present in the meeting.
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BJP sources said that on wednesday core committee of the West Bengal party unit shortlisted the names of the probable candidates recommended by district units.
"In the meeting at Nadda's residence, list of probable names will further shorten before being submitted in the BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC) which will select the candidates for the West Bengal polls," he said.
The BJP's CEC meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend.
Sources said that in the party CEC meeting the first list of the BJP candidates for 60 Assembly constituencies will be finalised. Polling in these seats will be held in the first two phases on March 27 and April 1.
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BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and party's Central Observer for West Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya arrived in Delhi on Wednesday to attend the CEC meeting. The polling in four states and Puducherry will be held between March 27 and April 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 2.
As many as 18.68 crore electors will cast their votes at 2.7 lakh polling stations in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora.
A total of 824 assembly constituencies shall be going for polls in four states--Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam-- and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
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With agency inputs
