Delay in BJP list: 'Winnability key criterion', says Yediyurappa

On Friday, B.S. Yediyurappa, former CM and a senior leader of BJP, announced that they would finalize their candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections after consulting with the party's high command.

"I will be leaving for Delhi in connection with finalising tickets. The matter needs to be discussed with the party's senior leaders. After a discussion, the candidates' list would be finalised," he said.

The senior BJP leader said that "a list having two or three names for each constituency has already been sent to the high command".

The prospective nominee's ability to win would be a crucial factor in the decision-making process. Yediyurappa stated that he would be traveling to Delhi to discuss the matter with senior party leaders, and a list of two or three names for each constituency had already been sent to the high command.

However, a preliminary meeting to finalize the tickets was canceled by the party high command on Friday evening. The Central Parliamentary Board will hold a meeting on Saturday to finalize the list, which is expected to be announced on Sunday.

Meanwhile, CM Basavaraj Bommai confirmed that he had completed the process of seeking feedback and opinion at the Assembly and district level, and the same had been discussed at the state level.

Bommai also expressed his belief that the Congress party would fare worse in the upcoming Assembly polls than in the 2018 Assembly polls due to a lack of suitable candidates, organization at the grassroots level, and proper ideology or principles.

Bommai responded to questions about Shivakumar's threat to cancel all reservations, including the international quota, by stating that no one could touch it and challenging Congress leaders to attempt it.

Addressing the opposition parties' attacks on Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeep for supporting the BJP, he stated that it was up to them if others wanted to take Sudeep with them for the poll campaign. The actor had already explained that he chose to support the BJP because of the party's assistance during his early days in the Kannada film industry.