New Delhi: With weeks before the Lok Sabha election dates are to be announced and BJP's declaring its first list of candidates, the saffron camp is busy settling seat-share deals with the allies of the National democratic Alliance (NDA).
On Wednesday, the BJP held a core group meeting to decide on the tickets in Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha.
While some of the key names of the party were announced last week by the BJP when it announced 195 names, the party did not name any candidates from states such as Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka in its first list.
Sources said that the Central Election Committee of the party, its highest election authority, will convene again on March 8. The lists of probables in the core committee meetings will be finalised in this meeting. Sources said that most of the seats given to the allies by the BJP in 2019 will be unchanged and most of the faces there could be repeated.
Here's a look at what the BJP and its allies are negotiating on in the key states and the status of the talks so far.
ODISHA
On Wednesday, the BJD had held a daylong discussion among its leaders for the Lok Sabha elections at Bhubaneshwar, while the BJP held meetings with leaders of the Odisha unit in Delhi.
BJD, which was a part of NDA alliance 15 years ago, has not officially joing the NDA fold since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. It has, however, tacitly supported the BJP in Parliament and recently, helped to send Ashwini Vashnaw to the Rajya Sabha.
“An extensive discussion was held under the leadership of BJD president Naveen Patnaik… regarding the strategy of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. In the discussions it was resolved that since by 2036 Odisha will complete 100 years of statehood…, the Biju Janata Dal will do everything towards this in the greater interests of people of Odisha and the state,” the BJD’s statement read.
MAHARASHTRA
In Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been trying to soothe tempers since the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP have demanded more seats.
There is a strong likelihood, as per BJP leaders from Maharashtra, that the party will fight on 30 seats, leaving 13 for the Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and 5 for the NCP.
In 2019, the BJP had contested 25 of the state’s 48 seats in alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena, who contested on 23 seats. The BJP had won 23 and the Shiv Sena clinched18 seats.
BIHAR
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had returned to NDA fold earlier this year, will hold talks with the BJP on seat-sharing after he is back from a trip to England.
BJP sources said that the JDU is keen on fighting on 16-17 seats, the same number of seats it contested in 2019. The JDU had only won 2 seats then.
In Bihar, the BJP also has to wrap up seat-sharing with its other allies – Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas faction), Lok Jan Shakti Party (Pasupati Paras faction), Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Jitan Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha.
ANDHRA PRADESH
In Andhra Pradesh, BJP has kept Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP waiting for an answer on alliance talks. TDP, which is in alliance with Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena, is open to adding BJP to the alliance. On Wednesday, Kalyan and Naidu held meeting to discuss the matter.
The TDP, which had left the NDA in 2019, had initiated talks with the BJP about a possible return. While both the parties have met more than once in the last few months, there has been no finalisation of the alliance.
Of the state's 25 Lok Sabha seats, the TDP has agreed to give the BJP 4 seats, but the BJP wants to field candidates on at least 10 seats while Jana Sena will contest on 3 seats.