BJP's first list of candidates to be announced next month

Shillong Jan 28: While most of the candidates of major political parties are busy campaigning, the BJP is yet to release names of its candidates for the upcoming elections.

Belatedly, the state unit of the party today held a meeting and finalised names of its candidates and said that it would be set for approval to New Delhi.

“We have prepared the list today. We are going to send it to our party head office in New Delhi immediately and by February 2 we are going to officially declare names of the candidates,” state BJP President Ernest Mawrie informed.

The BJP captured just two seats in the 2018 assembly elections with a mere 9.6 percent vote share. The party had however put up candidates in 47 out of the 60 seats in the 2018 elections.

On the other hand the major political forces to reckon with in the state, the Congress, the National People’s Party, United Democratic Party have all declared their first list of candidates. Even new entrant Trinamool Congress has declared names of over 50 candidates so far.

Due to this delay there is already confusion within the BJP and there is bound to be infighting. For example, the BJP is eyeing the North Shillong seat, but there are several aspirants for it.

Former Superintendent of Police, M Kharkrang and Micheal Kharsynthiew are the two major aspirants for the seat and are projecting themselves as the candidate for the seat in different platforms.

However, an unfazed Mawrie said, the party would be contesting all the 60 seats and a star-studded campaigners' list has been formulated headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The exact date has not been finalized, but just after February 10, he (Modi) will be visiting Khasi-Garo-Jaintia Hills of the state,” he said.

There would be 20 star campaigners for the party which includes Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Nitin Gadkari and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states will also campaign during the elections.