New Delhi, Feb 26: Declining to comment on the number of sitting MPs to be retained, BJP spokesman Arun Jaitely today said that 'winnability and performance' will be the main criteria during ticket distribution. ''The party has not yet decided on the ticket distribution but winnability and the past performance of a candidate would certainly be the factor,'' he told reporters here.
Declining to comment on reports that about ten per cent of the sitting MPs would be denied tickets, Jaitely said the party has yet to take a decision on this. In fact the BJP had not yet finalised its nominees, he said. However, BJP sources said that about seventy per cent of the sitting members will be retained while the remaining will be replaced.
The Central parliamentary board, the apex body to decide on ticket distribution had met once but the final decision would only be taken in the subsequent meetings after it receives recommendations from the state boards.
Meanwhile, Naresh Malik, a senior leader from Haryana who lost the last Lok Sabha election by a meagre two thousand votes, joined the BJP today.
Bureau Report