Raipur: Determined to make its presence felt in Chhattisgarh, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has begun screening aspiring candidates for the assembly polls due in November.

"On the instructions of party chief Mayawati, BSP leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Lalji Verma is conducting interviews here for aspiring candidates," state party chief Dauram Ratnakar said.

He said the interview process began on Sunday and would be completed by Wednesday with at least three names to be short-listed for each of the 90 assembly segments.

"Verma will put up the short-listed names before Mayawati next month in Lucknow to decide the final candidates. We plan to announce the names for the Chhattisgarh polls at least six months in advance to give enough time for the party and candidates to focus on voters," Ratnakar said.

Currently, the BSP has just one member in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state. But party leaders say the BSP can spring a surprise in the November polls by wooing Dalits along with upper castes, which proved to be a winning formula in Uttar Pradesh last year.

The BSP is in power in Uttar Pradesh, with Mayawati as the chief minister.

Source : IANS