Lok Sabha polls 2024: BJP heavyweights headline party’s first list of 195 candidates
BJP heavyweights in the first candidates' list for Lok Sabha polls 2024
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hasreleasedits first list of 195 candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, aiming to secure 370 seats on its own, and over 400 for its alliance, the NDA. India'sruling BJP declared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would once again contest from Varanasi, with othernotable namesincluded 34 Union Ministers such as Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Smriti Irani.
Here are the key contenders in BJP's candidate lineup
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to contest once more from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. With victories in the constituency in the past two elections, PM Modi eyes a third consecutive triumph.
Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, credited with orchestrating BJP's resounding victory in the 2014 polls, will seek re-election from Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
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Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will again be in the fray from the Lucknow constituency in the upcoming elections.
Also watch |BJP announces first list for Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi to contest from Varanasi
Smriti Irani
Following her historic victory over Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in 2019, Smriti Irani has been once again entrusted with this critical constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
Jyotiraditya Scindia
Former Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia will compete from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, aiming to regain the constituency he lost to the BJP candidate in 2019.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seems to bepoised for a national role, and will contest from Vidisha.
Kiren Rijiju
Kiren Rijiju, currently holding the Earth Sciences portfolio, will contest from Arunachal West, having spearheaded significant ministries since BJP's second term in 2019.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar will enter a high-stakes battle in Thiruvananthapuram, aiming to wrest the seat from Congress' Shashi Tharoor.
Hema Malini
Renowned actor-politician Hema Malini has been fielded once more from Mathura, seeking to replicate her emphatic victories in the past two elections.
Bhupender Yadav
A seasoned BJP leader, Bhupender Yadav,known for his adept handling of challenges, steps into his maiden Lok Sabha election from Alwar, Rajasthan.
Despite securing 303 seats in the 2019 polls, the BJP's current representation in the Lok Sabha stands at 290 due to various factors, including recent resignations of some MPs post their victories in assembly polls.
With the Election Commission expected to announce the poll schedule later this month, the Lok Sabha elections are anticipated to take place in April-May, marking a crucial phase in India's democratic process.
(With inputs from agencies)