The BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) has begun its meeting at the party headquarters to finalize candidates for the upcoming assembly polls in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by other senior party leaders, including Amit Shah, JP Nadda, BS Yediyurappa, and Basavaraj Bommai. The BJP is expected to finalize the list of candidates for the Karnataka polls during the meeting.
Ahead of the meeting, Amit Shah held a huddle with Nadda, Yediyurappa, and Bommai, indicating that the party is focusing on finalizing the names of candidates for what is expected to be a highly contested election. The BJP had earlier announced that it would contest the polls in alliance with some regional parties in Tamil Nadu, while seeking to retain power on its own in Karnataka.
The BJP’s election meet was scheduled to take place on April 8, but was postponed due to the CM’s COVID-19 diagnosis, and is now likely to finalize the list of candidates by April 9. The meeting is crucial for the BJP, as it gears up to take on the Congress and the JD(S) in the polls.
The BJP’s election strategy in Karnataka will be a key focus of the meeting, as the party looks to retain power in the state. The BJP currently has 105 seats in the assembly, with the Congress and the JD(S) having 68 and 34 seats, respectively. The poll results will determine the ruling party in Karnataka for the next five years.
In Tamil Nadu, the BJP is contesting in alliance with AIADMK, and the party’s focus will be on putting up a strong challenge against the DMK-Congress alliance. The DMK has been out of power in the state for over a decade, and is hoping to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiments against the AIADMK government. The election is also seen as a battle for the legacy of Karunanidhi, the former DMK patriarch, and J Jayalalithaa, the former AIADMK leader.
Political analysts believe that the BJP’s performance in the two southern states will be crucial for the party’s future prospects, as it looks to expand its footprint beyond the Hindi heartland. While the BJP has been able to make inroads in some northeastern states, it has struggled to make a dent in the south, which has traditionally been dominated by regional parties.
The BJP’s campaign in both states has been centered around nationalism, with the party seeking to project itself as the sole protector of India’s unity and integrity. The party has also focused on developmental issues in both states, promising to improve infrastructure and create jobs. The party’s attempts to woo Hindu voters in both states have been met with resistance from opposition parties, who have accused the BJP of attempting to divide society along religious lines.
The results of the polls in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are expected to have a significant impact on national politics, as the BJP looks to consolidate its position ahead of the 2024 general elections. The party’s success in the two states will be closely watched by political observers, who believe that the BJP’s performance in the south will determine whether it can truly claim to be a pan-Indian party, or whether its appeal remains restricted to certain parts of the country.
