HP polls: BJP to announce candidates after schedule is out

The Himachal Pradesh BJP today said that it would announce names of its candidates for the 2017 assembly polls after the election schedule is notified.

"The state BJP is in the process of finalising the candidates, and announcement of their names would start after the announcement of the poll dates," Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti said in a statement here.

The Election Commission is likely to announce the poll schedule this week.

Recommendations would be sent to the BJP high command by a 16-member state election committee, which is headed by Satti, former chief ministers Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta Kumar, and Union Heath Minister J P Nadda.

Unlike the Congress, the BJP has not invited any applications, he said, adding that surveys are being conducted by the party to check the winning prospect, popularity and public image of probable candidates.

The BJP and the Congress have announced to contest elections from all 68 assembly seats.

The Congress has announced that chief minister Virbhadra Singh would lead the party in the polls while the BJP is yet to project anyone as the CM candidate.