The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently unveiled its fifth list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, adding 111 more contenders to its roster. With this announcement, the ruling party has now finalized 398 nominees for the polls, leaving only a few slots vacant.
Former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi retains her candidacy from Sultanpur constituency, while her son Varun Gandhi has been replaced by Uttar Pradesh minister Jitin Prasada in Pilibhit. Varun Gandhi, who had previously won from Pilibhit in 2009, was shifted to Sultanpur in 2014. However, in 2019, he returned to Pilibhit and secured a victory for the third consecutive term.
Among the notable candidates announced by the BJP, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut will contest from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, while veteran actor Arun Govil, renowned for his portrayal of Lord Ram in “Ramayan,” will stand in Meerut. Additionally, Sita Soren, the sister-in-law of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, has joined BJP and will run from Dumka after leaving the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar, who briefly left the BJP for the Congress before returning, will contest from Belgaum. In West Bengal, ex-Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay will represent the BJP in Tamluk, while Dilip Ghosh moves from Medinipur to Bardhaman–Durgapur, replacing S S Ahluwalia.
The BJP’s candidates list encompasses various states, including seven from Rajasthan, four each from Haryana, Karnataka, and Kerala, 18 from Odisha, and three each from Maharashtra and Jharkhand. In Andhra Pradesh, party president D Purandeswari will contest from Rajahmundry, and former CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy from Rajampet.
Moreover, BJP vice president Baijayant Panda will contest from Kendrapara, a constituency he has represented twice as a BJD member, marking a significant move for the party in Odisha.
With these announcements, the BJP continues to solidify its presence across different regions, strategically placing candidates to vie for victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
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