Amit Shah may not contest poll; BJP deliberates candidates

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 17

BJP chief Amit Shah is unlikely to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, sources indicated as the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) began its second round of deliberations to finalise the list of candidates.

This is being done for different states, including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka and Odisha.

Several sitting MPs are expected to be changed to avoid the anti-incumbency factor. For example in Chhattisgarh, a state the BJP lost to the Congress in the last Assembly elections, the BJP is expected to change its 10 sitting MPs. It is also likely that former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh may be fielded from Rajnandgaon, a seat represented by his son Abhishek Singh.

His counterpart in Rajasthan Vasundhra Raje too is expected to contest.

Even in states like Haryana where the BJP is in a comfortable position, the party is expected to change at least four of the sitting seven MPs, barring those representing Faridabad and Gurugram.

Meanwhile, the first list for 2019 is expected to include the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said.

The CEC began its second meeting attended by the top leadership, including Modi, Shah, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and JP Nadda.