Amit Shah, JP Nadda meet West Bengal leaders to shortlist candidates

Initial discussion to shortlist names of the party candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls started at BJP chief J.P. Nadda' residence on Thursday.

Senior leaders from the state, party in-charge and co-in-charge for West Bengal were attending the meeting. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reached Nadda's residence.

BJP national vice president Mukul Roy, national general secretary and state in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, co-in-charge Arvind Menon, state unit president Dilip Ghosh, and former close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former minister Suvendu Adhikari were present in the meeting.

BJP sources said that on wednesday core committee of the West Bengal party unit shortlisted the names of the probable candidates recommended by district units.

"In the meeting going at Nadda's residence, list of probable names will further shorten before being submitted in the BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC) which will select the candidates for the West Bengal polls," he said.

The BJP's CEC meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend.

Sources said that in the party CEC meeting the first list of the BJP candidates for 60 Assembly constituencies will be finalised. Polling in these seats will be held in the first two phases on March 27 and April 1.

--IANS

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