The list was finalised at a meeting of the party’s central election committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with senior leaders including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh present.

The bilateral deal, announced in early February, was initially expected to be concluded in March. However, recent developments in US trade policy have complicated the timeline.

Has West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee violated the Model Code of Conduct by announcing sops minutes ahead of the announcement of poll dates by the Election Commission of India? What has the ECI said?