The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has kickstarted its preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by releasing its first list of candidates. In a significant move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will once again contest the elections from Varanasi, a constituency he has represented since 2014. The release of the candidate list marks the beginning of the BJP’s campaign to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha.
The BJP has announced candidates for 195 seats across 16 states and two union territories. Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, has the highest number of candidates with 51, followed by West Bengal with 20 candidates. Other states with significant representation include Madhya Pradesh with 24 candidates, Gujarat with 15 candidates, Rajasthan with 15 candidates, and Kerala with 12 candidates. The remaining seats are distributed among Telangana, Assam, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, and the union territories of Daman and Diu, Goa, Tripura, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Apart from Prime Minister Modi contesting from Varanasi, the candidate list includes several prominent names. Jyotiraditya Scindia will contest from Guna, Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Vidisha, Alok Sharma from Bhopal, V.D. Sharma from Khajuraho, Arjun Ram Meghwal from Bikaner, Bhupendra Yadav from Alwar, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from Jodhpur, Kailash Choudhary from Barmer, Om Birla from Kota, Hema Malini from Mathura, Ravi Kishan from Gorakhpur, and Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal West.
The announcement of the candidate list was made by BJP Secretary General Vinod Tawde during a press conference at the party headquarters. Tawde highlighted that out of the 195 candidates, 28 are women, reflecting the party’s commitment to gender inclusivity. Additionally, the list includes 47 young candidates, 27 candidates from scheduled castes, 18 candidates from scheduled tribes, and 57 candidates from backward classes. This diverse representation underscores the BJP’s efforts to ensure a broad-based and inclusive leadership.
The selection of candidates was discussed during a meeting of the Central Election Committee, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, as well as Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states. The committee carefully deliberated on the suitability of each candidate, taking into account their experience, qualifications, and ability to connect with the electorate.
As the Lok Sabha elections draw nearer, the BJP’s first list of candidates sets the stage for a competitive and dynamic electoral battle. The party’s decision to field Prime Minister Modi from Varanasi reflects his popularity and the confidence the BJP has in his leadership. With a diverse range of candidates representing various regions and communities, the BJP aims to secure a strong mandate and continue its work towards the development and progress of the nation.
In the coming weeks, the BJP will intensify its campaign efforts, reaching out to voters across the country and highlighting its achievements and vision for the future. The Lok Sabha elections will not only shape the political landscape of India but also determine the direction the nation takes in the years to come. As the BJP releases its first list of candidates, the stage is set for a spirited electoral contest that will shape the destiny of the world’s largest democracy.
BJP candidate list 2024 LIVE: PM Modi, Hema Malini, Smriti Irani — Who will contest from where in UP?
The BJP, while banking heavily on its sitting MPs on Saturday, released the first list of 51 candidates from Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections. These candidates are:
1. PM Modi: Varanasi
2. Smriti Irani: Amethi
3. Ritesh Pandey: Ambedkar Nagar
4. Hema Malini: Mathura
5. Ravi Kishan: Gorakhpur
6. Pradeep Kumar: Kairana
7. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan: Muzaffarnagar
8. Om Kumar: Nagina (SC)
9. Ghanshyam Lodhi: Rampur
10. Parameshvar Lal Saini: Sambhal
11. Kanwar Singh Tanwar: Amroha
12. Mahesh Sharma: Gautam Budh Nagar
13. Bhola Singh: Bulandshahr (SC)
14. Satyapal Singh Baghel: Agra (SC)
15. Raj Kumar Chahar: Fatehpur Sikri
16. Rajveer Singh: Etah
17. Dharmendra Kashyap: Aonla
18. Arun Kumar Sagar: Shahjahanpur (SC)
19: Ajay Mishra Teni: Kheri
20. Rekha Verma: Dhaurahra
21. Rajesh Verma: Sitapur
22. Jal Prakash Rawat: Hardoi (SC)
23. Ashok Kumar Rawat: Misrikh (SC)
24. Sakshi Maharaj: Unnao
25. Kaushal Kishore: Mohanlalganj (SC)
26. Sangam Lal Gupta: Pratapgarh
27. Mukesh Rajput: Farrukhabad
28. Ram Shankar Katheria: Etawah (SC)
29. Subrat Pathak: Kannauj
30. Devendra Singh Bhole: Akbarpur
31. Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma: Jalaun (SC)
32. Anurag Sharma: Jhansi
33. Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel: Hamirpur
34. RK Singh Patel: Banda
35. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti: Fatehpur
36. Upendra Singh Rawat: Barabanki (SC)
37. Lallu Singh: Faizabad
38. Saket Mishra: Shrawasti
39. Kirti Vardhan Singh: Gonda
40. Jagdambika Pal: Domariyaganj
41. Harish Dwivedi: Basti
42. Praveen Kumar Nishad: Sant Kabir Nagar
43. Pankaj Choudhary: Maharajganj
44. Vijay Kumar Dubey: Kushi Nagar
45. Kamlesh Paswan: Bansgaon (SC)
46. Neelam Sonkar: Lalganj (SC)
47. Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahua’: Azamgarh
48. Ravindra Kushwaha: Salempur
49. Kripashankar Singh: Jaunpur
50. Mahendra Nath Pandey: Chandauli
Here’s who will contest from where in Gujarat:
1. Union Home Minister Amit Shah: Gandhinagar
2. Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil: Navsari
3. Union agriculture minister Parshottam Rupala: Rajkot
4. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya: Porbandar
5. Mansukh Vasava: Bharuch
6. Dinesh Makwana: Ahmedabad West (Scheduled Caste)
7. Rajpalsinh Jadav: Panchmahal
8. Vinod Chavda: Kachchh (SC) seat
9. Bharatsinh Dabhi: Patan
10. Mitesh Patel: Anand
11. Jaswantsinh Bhabhor: Dahod
12: Devusinh Chauhan: Kheda
13. Rekhaben Chaudhary: Banaskantha
14. Bharatsinji Dabhi: Patan
15. Poonamben Maadam: Jamnagar