New Delhi, March 2: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled its inaugural list of Lok Sabha candidates, comprising 195 seats, in a highly anticipated media briefing held at the party’s headquarters in Delhi today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to once again contest from Varanasi, while Home Minister Amit Shah will seek re-election from Gandhinagar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow.
The announcement, made by Vinod Tawde, the general secretary of BJP, alongside other party officials, marks a significant milestone in the buildup to the forthcoming general elections.
The first list of BJP nominees boasts a diverse array of candidates, including 34 central and state ministers, the Lok Sabha speaker, two former chief ministers, and 28 female candidates. Notably, the list encompasses 47 candidates under the age of 50, demonstrating the party’s commitment to fostering youth leadership. Additionally, it features 27 candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC), 18 from Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 57 from Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The geographical distribution of candidates is as follows: Uttar Pradesh (51 seats), West Bengal (20), Madhya Pradesh (24), Gujarat (15), Rajasthan (15), Kerala (12), Telangana (9), Assam (11), Jharkhand (11), Chhattisgarh (11), Delhi (5), Jammu & Kashmir (2), Uttarakhand (3), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Goa (1), Tripura (1), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Daman and Diu (1).
Among the notable candidates announced by the BJP, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will contest from Vidisha, while Union Minister Smriti Irani will seek re-election from Amethi, Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur, and Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal West.
Other key contenders include Muraleedharan from Attingal, Suresh Gopi from Thrissur, Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar, Bansurai Swaraj from New Delhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia from Gwalior, Arjun Ram Meghwal from Bikaner, and Vijay Baghel from Durg.
| Notable candidates | Constituency |
|---|---|
| Shivraj Singh Chouhan | Vidisha |
| Smriti Irani | Amethi |
| Nitin Gadkari | Nagpur |
| Kiren Rijiju | Arunachal West |
| Muraleedharan | Attingal |
| Suresh Gopi | Thrissur |
| Mansukh Mandaviya | Porbandar |
| Jyotiraditya Scindia | Guna |
| Arjun Ram Meghwal | Bikaner |
| Vijay Baghel | Durg |
| Sarbananda Sonowal | Dibrugarh |
The announcement of these candidates underscores the BJP’s strategic approach as it gears up for the crucial electoral battle ahead. Stay tuned for further updates as the political landscape continues to evolve.
