HP POLLS: PM WANTS 10-15% SEATS FOR WOMEN CANDIDATES

NEW DELHI: Following the party ethics to fill maximum 33 per cent women candidates in both Assembly and local body elections, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted more women candidates for the upcoming Assembly Elections in the state of Himachal Pradesh, sources said.

It is learnt that during the party's Central Election Committee's meeting on Saturday evening at the party headquarters here, PM Modi asked to accommodate at least 6 to 7 women candidates in the final list. “Provide 10 to 15 per cent seats to women candidates,” the Prime Minister directed the CEC members, BJP sources claimed.

Meanwhile, BJP Mahila Morcha president and a young party face Indu Goswami's name is under consideration to be filled from Palampur– home town of the former Chief Minister Shanta Kuamr. However Kumar pushed former MLA Praveen Sharma's name for the constituency.

Even during 2012 Assembly elections, the party got trounced due to the internal strife between BJP veterans and two former CMS Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta Kumar. The saffron party also faced rebels in 18 constituencies.

Apart from Indu Goswami, former minister Shraveen Chaudhary's name is also being reported in the media. However, the names would surprise certainly.

Even after a series of meetings in the last two days, BJP is yet to finalise the candidate list for the Assembly polls, scheduled on November, 9. The entire state leadership, Prem Kumar Dhumal, Union Health Minister J P Nadda, Shanta Kumar, party in-charge Mangal Pandey, election in-charge Thawar Chand Gehlot, state party president Satpal Satti, Organising Secretary Pawan Rana — a key RSS man and BJP National General Secretary Ram Lal are yet to come up with a final list.

Since, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections, the ticket distribution has become more compound for Bharatiya Janata Party with its growing organizational strength. The political observers feel that the infighting of party veterans' camps is the main reason for the delay in the final list announcement, as they are pushing their own candidates.

The filing of nomination is scheduled to begin from Tuesday for the upcoming Assembly polls. However, both the major political parties, BJP and Congress are yet to come up with their final candidates' list.