Behind BJP's first candidate list: 'Early start' stratergy to achieve 370 Lok Sabha seats target

While the Congress is busy handling infights within the party and finalsing seat pacts with its INDIA bloc partners, the BJP made a strong headstart by announcing its first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

As many as 195 candidates's names were announced for 16 states and Union Territories. According to the Indian Express newspaper, the party has used its ‘early-start’ strategy, which helped the BJP gain momentum in the recent assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

The party leaders said that it proved successfull, and are hoping to replicate the same in the general election as PM Modi has set a target of 370 seats for the party on its own and 400 plus for NDA coalition.

While announcing the first list, BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde said the party has been making to not only spread the footprint of the BJP but also the NDA coalition. “Not just the BJP, even the people in this country want ‘fir ek baar Modi sarkar’,” he said.

Tawde said the party is confident that it would form the government for the third term under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi with a much bigger mandate.

The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule later this month and the elections are likely to be held in April-May.

The BJP had won 303 seats in 2019 polls but currently it has 290 members in Lok Sabha, the number decreasing for various reasons including due to some MPs recently resigning after winning assembly polls.

The BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC) had met for more than five hours Thursday night and deliberated on names for their first list. The next CEC meeting is expected to be held next week to discuss further names.

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