2012 polls: BJP to finalise candidates by Sept-end

A meeting of the party’s senior leaders will be held in Delhi on Tuesday to review the preparations for the UP polls. State BJP president Surya Pratap Shahi will attend the meeting,besides former national president Rajnath Singh,vice presidents Kalraj Mishra and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi,secretaries Santosh Gangwar and Varun Gandhi.

Sources said since there are a number of senior leaders from UP in the party’s national team,the leadership wants that they should not bypass the state unit whenever they plan a programme. “The idea is to actively engage the BJP’s state unit in all programmes. If Varun Gandhi wants to tour the state,he will have to inform the state unit in advance. Uma Bharati is a good example who does not bypass the state unit,” said a party leader.

Besides,the party leadership is also keen to prevent “favoritism” in the distribution of party tickets by senior leaders. “It is because of this reason that the state unit has so far not begun the process for reconstitution of the state election committee. The committee will be empowered to clear the names for the party tickets at the state level,” said the party leader.

As per the existing practice,the BJP first gets panels of possible candidates from its six regional units. The list is put up before the state election committee,which makes a short-list and sends it to the central parliamentary board for the final selection of candidates.

National president Nitin Gadkari has also introduced a new element. “He also takes into account the reports given to him by a survey agency that has been engaged to study the party’s prospect in different Assembly constituencies and identify the potential candidates,” said a party leader,adding that he has done this during the recently held Assembly elections in other states.