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2024 Lok Sabha Elections: BJP Expected to Finalize Candidate List by January-end

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up to unveil its candidate lineup for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections well in advance, with indications suggesting the potential entry of Rajya Sabha heavyweights into the electoral arena, according to sources cited in a report by The Times of India.

While deliberations are ongoing, insiders suggest that this move could create opportunities for other figures in the Rajya Sabha, though a final decision is yet to be reached. Notably, some prominent personalities may be approached to participate in the electoral fray.

Sources emphasized the strategic advantage of announcing the Lok Sabha candidates early, capitalizing on the popularity of Prime Minister Modi to secure an unprecedented majority in the upcoming central elections. The party is considering commencing the announcement of candidate names by the end of January, with the official poll dates expected to be revealed in February or March.

Following the BJP's significant triumph in assembly polls in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, the party has set ambitious goals for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, aiming for an "unprecedented majority."

In a recent meeting attended by senior BJP leaders, including Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, key strategies were outlined for the upcoming elections. During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi urged organizational leaders to work towards increasing the party's vote share by 10%, while Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the BJP's performance should leave the opposition "stunned."

Prime Minister Modi specifically called for a 10% increase in the BJP's vote share compared to the 2019 polls, where the party secured over 37% of the votes, and the National Democratic Alliance, led by the BJP, garnered around 45% of the votes.

Although the party's leadership did not specify a particular seat target, the focus remains on surpassing the 2019 performance when the BJP secured 303 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of outreach to women, youth, farmers, and the economically disadvantaged, referring to them as the four major "castes." He urged party leaders to connect with a maximum number of these groups through the ongoing 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra,' which seeks to promote the saturation of the government's flagship welfare schemes.