Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The BJP set up a panel for all the 29 Lok Sabha seats at a meeting in Delhi on Wednesday. The party leaders from the state worked throughout the day at the meeting and got the panel ready.
Although the name of party’s state president VD Sharma was doing the rounds for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, there are chances that he will be fielded from the
Khajuraho seat from where he is an MP. The party leadership is also mulling over the candidates, like former Mayor Alok Sharma, former minister
Narottam Mishra, and secretary of the party’s state unit Rahul Kothari. The central leadership may also propose some names. MP Shankar Lalwani is ahead of others in the race for ticket from the Indore LS constituency.
Former Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan is lobbying for a ticket for her son Milind Mahajan. District unit president of the party Gaurav Ranadive is also making efforts for a ticket.
The central leaders after consulting their state counterparts have asked the latter to give one or at the most two names to the panel.
After receiving instructions from the central leaders, the state BJP unit has recommended one name for each seat. According to sources, the party is getting ready to deny tickets to a large number of MPs.
The names of MPs to be given tickets again may be declared in the first list of candidates. Disputes over the seats, for which many candidates are demanding tickets, may be worked out through discussions.
Sources further said the party might spring surprises in selecting candidates for a few seats. The BJP’s central leadership conducted a survey on the basis of which tickets will be distributed and candidates selected.
