Hitting election preparation mode after Narendra Modis projection as prime ministerial candidate,BJP president Rajnath Singh Tuesday chaired the meeting of the core group of the partys Uttar Pradesh unit where the preliminary list of candidates for all 80 Lok Sabha seats came up for discussion. A tentative panel of 3-4 candidates for each Lok Sabha seat came up for discussion, confided a source present in the meeting today. Sources said that while Narendra Modis name was yet not mentioned in the list for any Lok Sabha seat from the state,it was indicated that Rajnath Singh,Murli Manohar Joshi,Kalyan Singh,Uma Bharti,Kalraj Mishra,Vinay Katiyar,Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi,Hukum Singh and Varun Gandhi will contest from the state. There was a general sense that the party should try to release first list of candidates by the end of October or early November,sources said. The meeting chaired by Rajnath Singh was attended by Amit Shah,Varun Gandhi,Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi,Kalyan Singh,Lakshmikant Bajpai,Surya Pratap Shahi,Hukum Singh,Kalraj Mishra and Vinay Katiyar among others. Party leader from the state,Hukum Singh,said a section of the population in Muzaffarnagar felt let down by the SP government. He urged the central party leaders to pay a visit to the riot hit area. Plans of rallies of Narendra Modi in at least six regions in the run-up to elections were discussed. The plan is to organise a rally of Modi in each zone to galvanise voters and party cadres alike, said a source. Former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh was learnt to have emphasized the need of good candidates. 40 per cent there is a wave,while 60 per cent it is the choice of our candidates that will decide the fate, a source quoted Kalyan Singh as having underlined in the meeting. Induction of local leaders from other parties keen on joining BJP was also discussed. There are quite a few good local leaders,who wield influence in their parliamentary constituencies,and are keen to join the BJP. It was underlined that the party should induct them unconditionally, a source said. Rajnath Singh is likely to hold deliberations with core units of north-eastern states in Guwahati on September 18-19,and with those from northern states in Chandigarh on September 23-24. He will discuss electoral preparations in southern states,in Chennai. Dates for meetings for other states were being firmed up.
