BN to contest 191 seats in GE15

(FMT) – Barisan Nasional (BN) will be contesting in 191 parliament seats in the upcoming general election (GE15), says its chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He also announced that aside from Umno and the other BN component parties, candidates from parties that are recognised as Friends of BN would be given the chance to contest under the coalition’s banner for the first time.

“We have not forgotten the candidates from the Friends of BN,” he said in the Bagan Datuk Umno division annual meeting.

“This is the first time that we are giving a chance to candidates from Friends of BN (to contest under BN).”

Friends of BN comprise Makkal Sakti, Parti Cinta Malaysia, Malaysian Indian Progressive Front, Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress, Malaysian Indian United Party and Parti Punjabi Malaysia.

Meanwhile, BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan said that the coalition is targeting to win at least 112 parliamentary seats or more in order to form a government, Berita Harian reported.

In June, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan was reported as saying that the parliamentary and state seats previously contested by Gerakan when it was under the coalition might be given to Friends of BN aside from MCA and MIC.