After weeks of haggling, the Delhi BJP today shortlisted a panel of probable candidates for all the 70 constituencies, keeping at the most four aspirants per seat.
The panel of candidates were finalised at a nine-hour -long marathon meeting of the BJP's state Election Committee presided by party's Delhi Election in-charge Nitin Gadkari.
Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel, party's Chief Ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan and senior leaders V K Malhotra, Vijender Gupta and Arti Mehra were present in the meeting held at Gadkari's residence. A source said the meeting witnessed heated arguments among some of the leaders.
Talking about the criteria for selection of candidates, Goel said, "Good work at grassroots level, clean image, commitment to the party and ability to win are some of the main criteria for selection."
Goel said names of the candidates will be announced after Diwali.
"The sitting MLAs having a good track record will be repeated. The party will give representation to all sections of society in ticket distribution," he said.
Sources said the meeting finalised a list of around 210 probable candidates. "At the most, names of four ticket aspirants have been kept per seat. In majority of seats, names of two to three probables have been finalised. The list will be further pruned in the next meeting," they said.
After pruning the list prepared today, the Delhi Election Committee will send it to the Central Election Committee for finalising the candidates.
Exhuding confidence of party's victory in the December 4 polls, Goel said the party undertook 'Ghar Ghar BJP' mass contact programme, which received phenomenal response.
"All 14 district units and 280 mandals are continuously engaged in the mass contact programmes through door-to-door campaigning, public meetings, interactions with RWAs," he said
"The party is working unitedly with the aim of ending the 15-year misrule of the Congress party," he said.
