Agartala, Jan 27 : The BJP on Saturday released its first list of candidates for 44 of the 60 seats in Tripura Assembly, polls for which will be held on February 18.

While the BJP will contest 51 seats, nine seats will be contested by by tribal-run Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, with which the BJP formally announced its alliance on Thursday.

According to the BJP leaders, the names of party candidates were finalised and announced after the party’s central election committee met in New Delhi under the chairmanship of BJP Supremo Amit Shah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and other CEC members also attended the meeting.