BJP unveils first list of 195 candidates for 2024 Lok Sabha elections
The ruling BJP on Saturday announced the first list of 195 candidates for Lok Sabha elections, fielding 34 Union Ministers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will contest from their constituencies Varanasi, Gandhi Nagar, and Lucknow respectively.
The list includes 28 women and 47 young leaders. Late Sushma Swaraj’s daughter Bansuri Swaraj is BJP’s candidate from the New Delhi constituency, by removing current MP and Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi.
Interestingly, BJP fielded controversial ex-Congress leader Kripa Shankar Singh of Mumbai from the Jaunpur seat in Uttar Pradesh. Kripa Shankar was the Mumbai Congress Committee head till 2014 and was a close aide of Ahmed Patel and Sonia Gandhi. He is facing many cases involving corruption charges and joined BJP in 2021. Kripa Shankar is considered a prominent Mumbai to Delhi Money Bag handler during the Congress regime. Kripa Shankar was the one who described the 26/11 Mumbai Terror as conducted by “Hindu Terror” groups and was at the book launch of “26/11: RSS ki Sazish”. BJP also denied ticket to sitting MP Pragya Thakur from Bhopal
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is fielded from BJP’s strong turf Vidisha. Union Ministers Bhupender Yadav, Mansukh Mandaviya, Sarbananda Sonowal, Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Arjun Ram Meghwal, G Kishan Reddy, Arjun Munda, and Smriti Irani also found a place in the BJP’s first list of candidates. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will contest from his sitting seat in Kota, Rajasthan.
The announced names included those for 51 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 20 in West Bengal, and five in Delhi. Prime Minister’s former Principal Secretary and Chairman of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee Nripendra Misra’s son Saket Misra (currently MLC) is fielded from Srabhasti seat in Uttar Pradesh. Apart from Meenakshi Lekhi, Delhi’s sitting MPs Harsh Vardhan and Ramesh Biduri were also removed from BJP’s list. Earlier on the day, Modi critic Yashwant Sinha’s son Jayant Sinha (currently Hazaribagh MP) and Delhi East MP and Cricketer Gautam Gambir announced their retirement from electoral politics.[1]
Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar is BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram candidate. Congress leader A K Antony’s son Anil Antony who joined the BJP, the previous year is fielded from the Pathanamthitta seat in Kerala. BJP also fielded tainted former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda’s wife Geeta Koda. She represents the Singhbum constituency in Jharkhand as a Congress MP and joined the BJP a few days ago to retain the seat.
Modi has set a target for the BJP to win at least 370 seats on its own in this Lok Sabha election and more than 400 for the NDA. The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule in mid-March and the elections are to be held in April-May. The BJP won 303 seats in the 2019 polls but currently, it has 290 members in Lok Sabha for various reasons including some MPs recently resigning after winning Assembly polls.
The announcement of the first list at a press conference at the party headquarters here follows an over five-hour-long meeting of the BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) on Thursday night. The CEC members, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party’s national president J P Nadda, and Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, had discussed the probable for states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa and Uttarakhand among others to finalize the nominees. The next CEC meeting is expected to be held next week to discuss further names.
Reference:
[1] Modi critic Yashwant Sinha’s son Jayant Sinha leaves electoral politics. Cricketer Gautam Gambhir also – Mar 02, 2024, PGurus.com
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BJP has, starting 2 PMs has always been working to a long term plan. Success in 2014 is the culmination of the plan with a value addition by Modi. Amongst the likely successors impeccable personal financial integrity will always be the top priority, to build on the foundation given by MODI.
Bold moves. Elected members should show their presence felt amongst its voter base. Else they have no right to be in politics.
a) voter base
b) subject contribution
c) municipality development in their area
d) contribute to the society – religion
e) improve & bring changes in the legal laws
f) show presence in various social, industry, legal committees / forums, social events