NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced its first list of 72 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections 2018. A meeting of the party's Central Election Committee was held in the evening to decide over the candidates.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

"The central election committee of the party has decided the first 72 names for the ensuing Karnataka legislative assembly elections," said the BJP's state unit in a statement.




The committee met at BJP's Headquarters in New Delhi with party President Amit Shah and committee members including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj present.


With just a month to go for Karnataka Assembly Elections, both ruling Congress and opposition BJP have entered a high-pitched battle on the ground and on social media.


Karnataka polls are scheduled to be held in a single phase on May 12 and the counting of votes will be done on May 15. VVPAT machines, apart from EVMs, will be deployed in Karnataka for the polls.


The date of notification is April 17 and the last date to file nominations is April 24. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 25 and the last day for withdrawal is April 27.


The 224-member Assembly expires on May 28 in the state where the Congress is currently in power, with 122 seats against the BJP's 43. Karnataka is one of the eight states where polls were scheduled this year.


While Siddaramaiah-led Congress is eyeing a second term in the state, BJP wants to spread its wings to the 22nd state.