High on Modi wave, BJP busy exploring suitable candidates
D-DAY Last in the state to announce its candidates, party is unlikely to change its sitting MPs
RANCHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to announce its Lok Sabha candidates by March 13. Party state president Ravindar Rai claims that the party will contest election from all 14 constituencies in Jharkhand.
“As claimed earlier, we will contest the election from all 14 seats,” Rai said.
The party would be the last in the state to announce its candidates. Senior BJP leaders said the party is busy exploring suitable candidates for the constituencies it would contest from.
While former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP from Palamu Kameshwar Baitha showed interest in joining the BJP on Friday, former JMM sitting MLA Hemlal Murmu, who quit the party on Friday alleging CM Hemant Soren of dictatorship, is also in talks with the BJP. Insiders said Murmu could get a ticket from the BJP from Rajmahal seat.
Rai, however, said that the induction of either of the former JMM leaders in the party is not confirmed yet. He said that the two leaders have shown their interest in joining the party and now it is upon BJP whether to induct them or not.
“Both the leaders have shown interest in joining us, but we have not confirmed anything yet,” Rai said.
He said a final list of the possible candidates would be prepared after the next state level meeting of the party. Sources claim that the party is unlikely to make changes in the seven constituencies where it has sitting MPs.