lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Mar 17, 2019 00:01 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah presided over a a marathon meeting that stretched close to midnight on Saturday to discuss candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting of the Central Election Committee was on till about 11:45pm, the time of going to press, and functionaries aware of the topic of discussions said the leaders were likely to draw up a shortlist that would be sent to the party’s parliamentary board on Monday.

Shah, the functionaries quoted above, is likely to hold a meeting with the core committee of the party on Sunday.

While the party did not give any details of the seats that were being discussed, party functionaries who did not want to be named said that these were likely to be the constituencies that would go to polls in the first phase on April 11.

Some of the key states where voting will be held on the first day of elections are: Andhra Pradesh (25), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Jammu & Kashmir (2), Maharashtra (7), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarakhand (5) and West Bengal (2).

In addition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the Central Election Committee includes members of the Union cabinet.