BJP likely to announce candidates for all 224 Assembly seats in early April

BENGALURU: Political activity in the BJP camp has increased with the announcement of the Assembly election schedule with the district units being directed to hasten preparation and to complete the surveys of constituencies of probables at the earliest.

With the election code of conduct coming into force, the foundation stone-laying for infrastructure projects and development schemes by central leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has come to a halt.

The BJP central election committee and the parliamentary party are likely to meet and the party is likely to announce its list of candidates for all 224 Assembly seats in one go on April 3 or 4. The three central observers have been asked to complete the process of eliciting opinion on possible candidates from the district-level leaders by March 31 before finalising the list. The ballot boxes will be kept in each Assembly constituency and these will be brought to the state party headquarters in Bengaluru on March 31. After counting of the ballots, the list of probables will be sent to the central leadership.

Meanwhile, the leadership is also trying to pacify sulking leaders who have been dropping hints at switching sides. In Tumakuru, Arun Somanna, son of minister V Somanna, has been tasked with organisational responsibilities and made the district vice-president. Arun had openly spoken against state BJP vice-president B Y Vijayendra. Arun has been with the party since 2010 and had not been given any position.

Minister Somanna was seeking a party ticket for his son, along with him, and had even indicated that he may switch to the Congress. While there was talk that Arun may be fielded from Gubbi constituency, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held discussions with Somanna in New Delhi and assigned the responsibility of the district vice-president to Arun, thereby effectively hitting two birds with one stone.