New Delhi:
Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, has been assigned the constituency of Vadodara in Gujarat today. Mr Modi will now contest the national election from here as well as from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, which was allotted to him over the weekend.
The decision was taken at an all-day meeting today in Delhi that brought together the BJP's most senior leaders including Mr Modi.
For weeks, there had been reports that Mr Modi would contest a second seat from his home state, where he is serving his fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister. He has never contested a national election and is a member of the Gujarat legislature.
The BJP deliberated between the constituencies of Ahmedabad East and Vadodara for Mr Modi. The former is currently represented in Parliament by Haren Pathak, known for his proximity to veteran leader LK Advani. BJP sources said there were concerns that displacing Mr Pathak could be seen as an undermining of Mr Advani, who fronted an unsuccessful campaign last year against the selection of Mr Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate.
Mr Modi has been forecast by an array of opinion polls as the frontrunner for the country's top job. NDTV's opinion poll shows the BJP's national alliance landing 219 seats. To form the government, the BJP will need 272 parliamentary seats.
Vadodara in central Gujarat has a large middle and upper class population, and the BJP is on solid ground here. Some within the party feel that fielding Mr Modi from here could drive momentum in other areas where the party is not as strong.
Similarly, the BJP's decision to have Mr Modi run for the Lok Sabha from Varanasi is designed to enthuse voters in India's largest state to support the party.