NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The Bharatiya Janata Party deferred the announcement of its candidates for the February 4 assembly elections in Goa to January 12. The lists of candidates for Goa and Punjab were slated for release on Wednesday.
Sources told this daily that the BJP parliamentary board has cleared 29 out of the total 37 candidates of the party, who will be contesting the assembly polls in Goa.
It was further informed that the 29 candidates, who have received green signal from the board, include 18 sitting MLAs. The decision as regards eight candidates, including those for Mayem and Canacona constituencies, would be taken on January 12 as the same require more consultations.
The sitting BJP MLAs from Mayem and Canacona namely Anant Shet and Ramesh Tawadkar, have tied with Praveen Zantye and Vijay Pai Khot, respectively, for candidature.
The BJP is expected to release both the lists at a press conference in the national capital on January 12.
The top brass of the party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah, participated in the candidate selection exercise during the day.
The BJP will field 37 candidates for the 40-member Goa assembly election, leaving the rest to the Independent candidates supported by it. The counting of votes will be taken up together in all the states undergoing assembly elections on March 11.
Senior BJP leader and in-charge of Goa assembly election for the party Nitin Gadkari is expected to guide the BJP candidates in Panaji on January 12.