New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday announced the first lists of candidates for Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh due later this year. This is the first time the BJP has announced the names of candidates even before the Election Commission of India announces the poll dates.

The party has announced 21 candidates for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly and 39 for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh House.

The announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the BJP's central election committee, the party's decision-making body for selection of candidates and preparation of poll strategies.

In a first, BJP announced the name of the candidate ahead of schedule, apparently to detect any internal conflicts within the party and address them proactively well within time.

Learning from the electoral setback experienced in Karnataka earlier this year, the BJP is determined to prevent any potential setbacks.

With upcoming elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram later this year, the party is keen to ensure a more strategic approach to avert any potential debacles, especially due to power struggle between regional heavyweights.

Among these states, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana are currently governed by opposition parties. Mizoram presents a unique situation where the BJP's relationship with its ally, the ruling Mizo National Front, has become strained due to the Manipur conflict. In Madhya Pradesh, a closely contested battle is anticipated between the BJP and the Congress.

Notably, the Chhattisgarh candidate list includes Vijay Baghel, a sitting Lok Sabha MP from Durg, who previously served as an MLA from Patan.

His nomination for the same constituency is an aspect worth noting. However, the initial list does not contain the names of prominent figures like former Chief Minister Raman Singh and other senior leaders within the party.

The initial candidate list for Madhya Pradesh does not include the names of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other prominent ministers.

In Chhattisgarh, the BJP's candidate roster features a total of five women, along with 10 candidates from Scheduled Tribes and one from the Scheduled Castes category.

Meanwhile, the party's choices for Madhya Pradesh include five women, eight candidates from the Scheduled Caste background, and 13 candidates from the Scheduled Tribes community.