Goa elections: BJP announces candidates

The central election committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared a list of 22 nominated candidates for contesting the crucial state assembly elections next month.

The committee headed by party's national president Nitin Gadkari finalised the list late last night which does not include MP Shripad Naik after he refused the Porvorim seat ticket.

The meeting also attended by BJP parliamentary party chairman L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and other prominent leaders have renominated nine of 10 sitting MLAs including Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar and state president Laxmikant Parsekar.

The party has also fielded seven new entrants.

The BJP announced its alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party at a press conference on Sunday. The party declared 31 candidates in the 40-member assembly of which eight seats are given to MGP. The remaining nine seats will be announced Monday.

(Reporting by John Edwards)