Maha polls: BJP candidates' list on Sep 19

Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to release its first list of candidates for Maharashtra Assembly polls on September 19.

"Central Election Committee (CEC) of BJP has convened a meeting on September 19 in Delhi and is likely to release its first list of candidates for Maharashtra," BJP spokesperson Prakash Jawadekar told PTI.

CEC would discuss recommendations sent by the state election committee and decide the final list, Jawadekar said.

The party also refuted reports that it will relinquish its claim over Guhagar Assembly seat in coastal Konkan region for ally Shiv Sena.

"These rumours are baseless and the state election committee is in the process of finalising the seats," he said.

After a meeting between Sena and BJP late Wednesday night, it was reported that BJP is not going to make Guhagar seat, which is currently represented by party's Vinay Natu in the House, a prestige issue and is likely to leave the seat for its ally.

Guhagar seat had become a stumbling block in seat sharing talks between the saffron alliance partners as senior Sena leader Ramdas Kadam, whose Khed constituency has ceased to exist after delimitation, had expressed a desire to contest from the seat.

Party sources said that Natu and his supporters will meet BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde on Thursday.