BJP reveals 5th list for Lok Sabha elections
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled its fifth list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The list features 111 individuals across 17 states, including notable newcomers such as Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, business tycoon Naveen Jindal, and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay.
Take a look at the complete list.
Details
Fresh faces in BJP's Lok Sabha election lineup
Interestingly, Ranaut will make her electoral debut from Mandi in her native state of Himachal Pradesh. Meanwhile, Jindal, a new addition and ex-Congress MP, will represent Kurukshetra in Haryana.
Abhijit Gangopadhyay, a former judge of the Calcutta High Court who joined the BJP post voluntary retirement, will run from Tamluk in Bengal. Notably, he is the first retired judge to join electoral politics.
Twitter Post
Ranaut says she is elated
My beloved Bharat and Bhartiya Janta’s own party, Bharatiya Janta party ( BJP) has always had my unconditional support, today the national leadership of BJP has announced me as their Loksabha candidate from my birth place Himachal Pradesh, Mandi (constituency) I abide by the high…
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 24, 2024
Exclusions
Key BJP leaders excluded from Lok Sabha elections
Further, the party has decided to exclude several prominent leaders including Varun Gandhi, Union Ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and General VK Singh, along with former Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde.
Gandhi's seat in Pilibhit has been allocated to ex-Congressman Jitin Prasada. However, Maneka Gandhi, Varun's mother, will be running from Sultanpur.
Fact
Other distinguished candidates in BJP's Lok Sabha lineup
Separately, Kerala BJP head K Surendran will compete against Congress's Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad.
Actor Arun Govil, known for his portrayal of Ram in the TV series Ramayan, has been fielded from Meerut Lok Sabha seat previously occupied by actress Hema Malini. She has been dropped.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will run from Sambhalpur and party spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri.
Plus, Union Minister Giriraj Singh has been fielded from Begusarai and Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib.