BJP may finalise candidates for Assembly elections by month-end

Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP is likely to finalise its first list of candidates for the Assembly by the end of this month.

The decisions in this respect will be taken after RSS meeting later this week. The core committee of the party, which met in Ankamali on Sunday, discussed strategies and decided to set up a committee for selection of candidates.

The meeting was presided over by Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, who is in charge of Kerala affairs of the party. The central leadership conveyed their desire that former leaders like P. Mukundan and Raman Pillai, who were no more associated with the party, should be brought back. (Mr. Mukundan has already attended a party function as part of this policy. However, a section in the State unit of the party is opposed to his re-entry.)  The final decision in this respect will be taken by State president of the party Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Mr. Rajasekharan told the media after the meeting that the State units of Congress and CP I(M) should make their views known on the move for alliance between the two parties in West Bengal. BJP will hold discussions with BDJS and others on electoral alliance shortly.