PM Modi, Shah attend BJP CEC meeting to finalize candidates for Gujarat polls

NEW DELHI, (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Bharatiya Janata Party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting held on Wednesday at party headquarters in New Delhi.

According to sources, the meeting is being held in a bid to finalise the entire list of candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls.

Besides PM Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and BJP state president CR Patil and other members of the CEC and the state unit are present in the meeting.

Another source told ANI, “Since all the central and state leadership are present during this meeting, it is likely that a separate discussion will take place with the top brass on planning the campaigning for the upcoming polls, especially with PM Narendra Modi having instructed them to target the highest poll numbers ever.”

Gujarat has been a BJP bastion for decades. BJP is seeking its seventh term in office. Before becoming Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was Gujarat’s longest-serving Chief Minister from 2001 to 2014.

On November 3, the Election Commission of India announced the election dates for Gujarat. Polling will take place in two phases on December 1 and December 5 respectively.

In the first phase, polling will be held for 89 seats while the second phase will see voting for 93 seats. The term of the 182-member state Assembly ends on February 18, 2023. The state of Gujarat has seen a traditional face-off between the ruling BJP and its traditional rival Congress.

However, in the upcoming elections, a new entrant, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is being keenly watched in the poll fray. (ANI)