Karnataka CM in Delhi, Yediyurappa flies back; BJP candidate talks prolong

BJP's list of candidates for the Karnataka assembly elections may be announced on Tuesday, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has said. The party held a series of meetings in New Delhi on Monday, a day after the central election committee met. Bommai and senior party leader BS Yediyurappa have been camping in New Delhi since Friday evening. Yediyurappa, however, left for Bengaluru later in the evening.

Traditionally, BJP announces the list immediately after the CEC approves the names. However, there have been rounds of meetings after Sunday's CEC meeting, indicating that the party was facing some hitch. According to a party insider, there were certain issues to be sorted out on some senior leaders and their family members and it was delaying the list. The leaders are still working on a few names, the insider said. Earlier some leaders had said that a candidate list is likely to be announced on Monday.

The first meeting on Monday was held at election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan's residence in the morning where Bommai, Union minister Prahlad Joshi and BJP general secretaries Arun Singh and CT Ravi were present. Another meeting took place at home minister Amit Shah's residence too. In the afternoon, the leaders met at party president JP Nadda's residence.


"After the CEC meeting, we were asked to provide some information. I have come to provide the information and the list is likely to be announced on Tuesday or later," Bommai told media persons after his first meeting at Nadda's residence. Yediyurappa was not part of the meeting and reached Nadda's residence only after Bommai and other leaders left. After Yediyurappa left Nadda's residence, Bommai returned for another meeting which continued for more than five hours. Joshi, Singh and Ravi were also part of the meeting.