BJP convenes CEC to decide Haryana, Maha candidates

New Delhi : The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has convened its crucial Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Sunday where candidates for Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections are likely to be finalised.

The meeting will be chaired by BJP President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narednra Modi along with working president J. P. Nadda will be in attendance.

The CEC was delayed as the Prime Minister was away in the United States for more than a week and returned on Saturday evening. The BJP-Sena are likely to announce its seat sharing agreement on Monday after ironing out differences. Sources say, BJP has retained the lions share and candidates will be finalised for those seats.

For Haryana, star new entrants include wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and former captain of the Indian Hockey Team Sandeep Singh. Both are expected to be fielded by the BJP.

Dutt is likely to get ticket from Sonepat. Babita Phogat, who joined BJP along with her father recently has also expressed her desire to contest elections, say sources.

The BJP is likely to announce its first list for Haryana soon after Sunday's CEC meeting, as the Navaratri celebrations across the country begin.

The saffron party has little time left, as the Election Commission has fixed October 4 as the last date for filing nominations.The 90-member Haryana Assembly and 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will go to the polls on October 21, while the results will be declared on October 24.

The BJP, which is in power in both the states, has announced that it wishes to repeat its incumbent Chief Ministers, should it return for the second term.