New Delhi: Gearing up for the Assembly elections in nine states and the Lok Sabha polls, BJP today set up a high level Central Election Management Committee headed by the party chief Rajnath Singh.

"A 19-member election management committee has been formed as per the recommendations of the group appointed by Advaniji to chalk out the election strategy. The committee would be headed by party president Rajnath Singh," party leader Sushma Swaraj said in a press conference here today.

The party came out with the list of leaders who will finalise its election strategy. It accommodates almost every section of the party including some known detractors of senior leader L K Advani.

It includes Jaswant Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Venkiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj, V K Malhotra, Bal Apte, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar, Gopinath Munde, Thawarchand Gehlot, Vinay Katiyar, Yeshwant Sinha, Ramlal Agarwal, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Arun Shourie, Ravishanker Prasad, Balbir Punj and Vinay Saharsha Budhe.

The new committee is slated to meet ahead of the National Council meet and chalk out further strategy and plan out a rally each in the state capitals before March.

"The new committee will meet on January 15, which would be followed by a meeting of the NDA leaders some time between 22 and 25," Swaraj added. Asked if it was too early for the party to be in the election mode, she said, "This is an election year and it will culminate with the Lok Sabha elections. We rather think that we are a bit late."

Source : PTI