BJP Central Election Committee meets to discuss state poll preparations

New Delhi: The BJP's Central Election Committee, whose members include Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders, met here on Wednesday to hold deliberations on the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Sources said the CEC members took stock of the poll preparations as the state leadership gave them feedback. The party is focussing on seats where it faces a strong opposition but believes it can turn things around with a deft strategy, including selection of strong candidates.

Besides Modi, other CEC members including party president J P Nadda, and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah were among those present at the meeting. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh were among the state leaders who participated in the deliberations.

The party's decision to hold the meeting so early -- the CEC usually meets only after poll dates are announced -- underlines the significance it has attached to the five state elections, the last round of assembly contest before the all-important Lok Sabha polls.

It also indicates a greater involvement of the central leadership in overseeing the state poll campaign, sources noted.

Five states -- Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram -- are expected to go to the polls in November-December.

Similar CEC meetings can also be held for other states, the sources said.

The BJP is in power in only Madhya Pradesh and is running an intense campaign to oust the Congress government in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, and the BRS in Telangana.