Lok Sabha polls 2024: BJP likely to finalise candidates on 28 seats in K'taka today, says former CM BS Yediyurappa

Lok Sabha elections latest: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to finalise its candidates on all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka for the upcoming general polls on Wednesday, former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said. He noted that an election committee meeting of the saffron party will be held in Delhi with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal. 

"There is an election committee meeting in Delhi and I am going to participate in the meeting. Candidates from almost all the 28 seats will be finalised by the in-charge in the meeting with Union HM Amit Shah and Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal," Yediyurappa was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Yediyurappa claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to be present for this meeting along with Amit Shah, Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and other senior party leaders. 

Both the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda have had discussions on seat-sharing but there is no official announcement yet. 

JD(S) may contest in three to four seats in the southern state, sources stated. A candidate from the JD(S) may also contest on the BJP symbol, sources further said. 

Less than a week ago, the BJP announced its first of candidates who will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The list had names of candidates from 16 states and two Union Territories. 

The list featured star candidates like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Bansuri Swaraj, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Mansukh Mandaviya, Nishikant Dubey, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Hema Malini. 

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP swept 25 out of the total 28 seats. An independent backed by the saffron party also emerged victorious. The Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) could win just one seat each. 

In Assembly elections last year, the Congress scored a resounding victory and appointed Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister and D K Shivakumar as his deputy.