The Central election Committee (CEC) meeting of the bharatiya janata party (BJP) held at the party headquarters in Delhi, aimed at finalizing the first list of candidates for the upcoming lok sabha elections in 2024, extended into the late hours of Thursday, february 29.

This was Led by bjp President jp nadda and attended by key leaders including prime minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister amit shah, and Defense minister Rajnath Singh, discussions centred on the names of potential candidates. As per sources, the release of the BJP's first list of candidates is anticipated on Friday, march 1. Prior to the CEC meeting, there was a high-level discussion at the official residence of prime minister Modi involving Union home minister amit shah and bjp President JP Nadda.

The meeting included various prominent leaders such as Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, and other Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states. Leaders from states such as Gujarat, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Goa, Jharkhand, Delhi, Tripura, Haryana, and kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>jammu and kashmir were also present.

Over 150 lok sabha seats across the states and union territories were under discussion, with the party aiming to finalize candidates for more than 300 seats by march 10. Reports suggest that names of 40 high-profile leaders, including prime minister Narendra Modi, Defense minister Rajnath Singh, home minister amit shah, and Union minister Smriti Irani, may be included in the initial list. 

Additionally, candidates for approximately 80 seats, where bjp faced defeat in the previous elections, are expected to be announced. The bjp has set ambitious targets, aiming to secure 370 seats for itself and over 400 seats for the national democratic alliance (NDA) in the upcoming lok sabha elections.