With Lok Sabha elections drawing closer, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its eighth list on Saturday (Mar 30) which included the names of candidates fielded from Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal.

In Punjab, the saffron party has handed the ticket to former Congress MP and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh's wife Preneet Kaur from Patiala who had won the same seat in the 2019 general elections on Congress ticket.

Preneet Kaur, who was suspended by the Congress in February 2023 over alleged 'anti-party' activities, joined the BJP earlier this month.

She embraced her new party on March 14 in the presence of prominent leaders, including Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar, who himself was formerly associated with the Congress.

Kaur is set to face AAP candidate Dr Balbir Singh from the Patiala seat. The Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal are yet to announce their candidates from Patiala.

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भारतीय जनता पार्टी की केन्द्रीय चुनाव समिति ने आगामी लोकसभा चुनाव-2024 के लिए 8वीं सूची में निम्नलिखित नामों पर अपनी स्वीकृति प्रदान की। <a href="https://t.co/TrHp1SEdnK">pic.twitter.com/TrHp1SEdnK</a>
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<h2>BJP drops Sunny Deol</h2>

In a significant development, Bollywood actor Sunny Deol was sensationally axed from the Gurdaspur seat. The ticket from the constituency has been given to Dinesh Singh "Babbu".

Babbu had remained a three-time MLA from Sujanpur in Pathankot.

The opposition parties had attacked BJP over Deol's "absence" from the constituency.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-wins-10-seats-uncontested-in-arunachal-pradesh-assembly-amid-absence-of-rivals-nomination-withdrawals-706048">BJP wins 10 seats uncontested in Arunachal Pradesh assembly amid absence of rivals, nomination withdrawals</a>

<h2>Hans Raj Hans fielded from Faridkot seat</h2>

The saffron party fielded singer and MP from North West Delhi Hans Raj Hans from Faridkot which is a reserved seat.

He will be facing AAP candidate Punjabi actor and singer Karamjit Anmol.

At present, the seat is represented by Congress MP Mohammad Sadique.&nbsp;

<h2>Ex-diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu handed ticket from Amritsar</h2>

BJP fielded former Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu from the Amritsar constituency.

The 61-year-old former diplomat is Teja Singh Samundri's grandson, who was one of the founding members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

The ruling party last won the seat in the year 2009 when Navjot Singh Sidhu was the candidate.

BJP's Arun Jaitley and Hardeep Singh Puri lost in the 2014 and 2019 elections respectively.

From the Jalandhar constituency, the party fielded AAP's lone MP Sushil Kumar Rinku who joined the BJP just four days ago.

Rinku, who had been named the candidate by the AAP, quit the Kejriwal-led outfit in less than a year after joining it.

On the other hand, MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, who quit Congress and joined BJP on Tuesday, was fielded from the Ludhiana seat.

He is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in a terror attack in 1995.

<h2>Rabindra Narayan Behera fielded from Jajpur seat</h2>

Rabindra Narayan Behera was handed the ticket by the party from Jajpur seat in Odisha, Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi from Kandhamal and Bhartruhari Mahtab from Cuttack.

In West Bengal, the ruling party fielded former IPS officer Debashish Dhar from Birbhum and Pranat Tudu from Jhargram.

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

With Lok Sabha elections drawing closer, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its eighth list on Saturday (Mar 30) which included the names of candidates fielded from Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal.

With Lok Sabha elections drawing closer, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its eighth list on Saturday (Mar 30) which included the names of candidates fielded from Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal. In Punjab, the saffron party has handed the ticket to former Congress MP and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh's wife Preneet Kaur from Patiala who had won the same seat in the 2019 general elections on Congress ticket. Preneet Kaur, who was suspended by the Congress in February 2023 over alleged 'anti-party' activities, joined the BJP earlier this month. She embraced her new party on March 14 in the presence of prominent leaders, including Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar, who himself was formerly associated with the Congress. Kaur is set to face AAP candidate Dr Balbir Singh from the Patiala seat. The Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal are yet to announce their candidates from Patiala. भारतीय जनता पार्टी की केन्द्रीय चुनाव समिति ने आगामी लोकसभा चुनाव-2024 के लिए 8वीं सूची में निम्नलिखित नामों पर अपनी स्वीकृति प्रदान की। pic.twitter.com/TrHp1SEdnK — BJP (@BJP4India) March 30, 2024 × BJP drops Sunny Deol In a significant development, Bollywood actor Sunny Deol was sensationally axed from the Gurdaspur seat. The ticket from the constituency has been given to Dinesh Singh "Babbu". Babbu had remained a three-time MLA from Sujanpur in Pathankot. The opposition parties had attacked BJP over Deol's "absence" from the constituency. Also read: BJP wins 10 seats uncontested in Arunachal Pradesh assembly amid absence of rivals, nomination withdrawals Hans Raj Hans fielded from Faridkot seat The saffron party fielded singer and MP from North West Delhi Hans Raj Hans from Faridkot which is a reserved seat. He will be facing AAP candidate Punjabi actor and singer Karamjit Anmol. At present, the seat is represented by Congress MP Mohammad Sadique. Ex-diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu handed ticket from Amritsar BJP fielded former Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu from the Amritsar constituency. The 61-year-old former diplomat is Teja Singh Samundri's grandson, who was one of the founding members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. The ruling party last won the seat in the year 2009 when Navjot Singh Sidhu was the candidate. BJP's Arun Jaitley and Hardeep Singh Puri lost in the 2014 and 2019 elections respectively. From the Jalandhar constituency, the party fielded AAP's lone MP Sushil Kumar Rinku who joined the BJP just four days ago. Rinku, who had been named the candidate by the AAP, quit the Kejriwal-led outfit in less than a year after joining it. On the other hand, MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, who quit Congress and joined BJP on Tuesday, was fielded from the Ludhiana seat. He is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in a terror attack in 1995. Rabindra Narayan Behera fielded from Jajpur seat Rabindra Narayan Behera was handed the ticket by the party from Jajpur seat in Odisha, Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi from Kandhamal and Bhartruhari Mahtab from Cuttack. In West Bengal, the ruling party fielded former IPS officer Debashish Dhar from Birbhum and Pranat Tudu from Jhargram. (With inputs from agencies)

Lok Sabha polls: Sunny Deol dropped; BJP fields ex-diplomat Sandhu from Amritsar, Preneet Kaur from Patiala

Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, who was suspended by the Congress in February 2023 due to alleged 'anti-party' activities, made a significant move on Thursday (March 14) by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Her decision, occurring on the brink of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections expected in April-May, marks a notable political shift.

Amidst the presence of prominent leaders, including Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar, who himself was formerly associated with the Congress, Kaur officially embraced her new party.

Addressing the media following her decision, she expressed her commitment to serving her constituency, state, and nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-elections-2024-gadkari-anurag-thakur-piyush-goyal-69-others-named-in-second-bjp-list-699756">Nitin Gadkari, Anurag Thakur, Piyush Goyal, 69 others named in second BJP list</a>

Preferring not to dwell on past events, Kaur reflected on her tenure with the Congress, acknowledging it as a positive experience while expressing hopes for a more fruitful journey with the BJP.&nbsp;

Regarding her potential participation in the upcoming general elections, Kaur deferred decision-making to her new party.

It is worth noting that Kaur has&nbsp;familial ties to the BJP, as her spouse is the prominent BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh.&nbsp;

Singh, who had previously served as Punjab chief minister with the Congress, later founded the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) in November 2021, ultimately merging it with the BJP in September 2022.

Additionally, Kaur's daughter, Jai Inder Kaur, is also affiliated with the BJP, sparking speculation that she may contest from the Patiala constituency.

In a separate development, Kaur drew attention in December of the preceding year when she voted in favour of expelling Trinamool Congress's Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha on charges related to cash-for-query allegations.&nbsp;

Notably, Kaur, as the sole opposition member on the ethics committee, supported Moitra's expulsion, resulting in Moitra's subsequent loss of membership in the House.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party released its second list of candidates. A total of 72 candidates, including Union ministers Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), Anurag Thakur (Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh), and Piyush Goyal (Mumbai north) were named in the second list of the BJP candidates.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-elections-2024-bjps-first-list-puts-focus-on-continuity-winnability-top-points-696077">Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP's first list puts focus on continuity, winnability | Top points</a>

BJP had announced 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the first list on March 2 and has now declared names of its 267 contestants in total.

The BJP released the first list of 195 candidates on March 2.

(With inputs from agencies)

Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, who was suspended by the Congress in February 2023 due to alleged 'anti-party' activities, made a significant move on Thursday (March 14) by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, who was suspended by the Congress in February 2023 due to alleged 'anti-party' activities, made a significant move on Thursday (March 14) by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Her decision, occurring on the brink of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections expected in April-May, marks a notable political shift. Amidst the presence of prominent leaders, including Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar, who himself was formerly associated with the Congress, Kaur officially embraced her new party. Addressing the media following her decision, she expressed her commitment to serving her constituency, state, and nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also read: Nitin Gadkari, Anurag Thakur, Piyush Goyal, 69 others named in second BJP list Preferring not to dwell on past events, Kaur reflected on her tenure with the Congress, acknowledging it as a positive experience while expressing hopes for a more fruitful journey with the BJP. Regarding her potential participation in the upcoming general elections, Kaur deferred decision-making to her new party. It is worth noting that Kaur has familial ties to the BJP, as her spouse is the prominent BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh. Singh, who had previously served as Punjab chief minister with the Congress, later founded the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) in November 2021, ultimately merging it with the BJP in September 2022. Additionally, Kaur's daughter, Jai Inder Kaur, is also affiliated with the BJP, sparking speculation that she may contest from the Patiala constituency. In a separate development, Kaur drew attention in December of the preceding year when she voted in favour of expelling Trinamool Congress's Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha on charges related to cash-for-query allegations. Notably, Kaur, as the sole opposition member on the ethics committee, supported Moitra's expulsion, resulting in Moitra's subsequent loss of membership in the House. Meanwhile on Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party released its second list of candidates. A total of 72 candidates, including Union ministers Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), Anurag Thakur (Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh), and Piyush Goyal (Mumbai north) were named in the second list of the BJP candidates. Also read | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP's first list puts focus on continuity, winnability | Top points BJP had announced 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the first list on March 2 and has now declared names of its 267 contestants in total. The BJP released the first list of 195 candidates on March 2. (With inputs from agencies)

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Former Punjab CM’s wife Preneet Kaur joins BJP, eyes Patiala contest

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Lok Sabha polls: Sunny Deol dropped; BJP fields ex-diplomat Sandhu from Amritsar, Preneet Kaur from Patiala

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Former Punjab CM’s wife Preneet Kaur joins BJP, eyes Patiala contest