NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its fifth list comprising 111 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The announcement covers candidates for various constituencies across several states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Among the notable inclusions in the BJP's fifth list is Kangana Ranaut, the renowned actor, who will be contesting from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Another prominent figure, Naveen Jindal, has been nominated for the Kurukshetra seat.
Expressing her gratitude to the party upon the announcement, Kangana Ranaut stated, "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 Lok Sabha candidate from my birthplace, Himachal Pradesh, Mandi constituency. I abide by the high command’s decision on contesting Lok Sabha polls."
"I feel honored and elated to officially join the party. I look forward to being a worthy karyakarta and a reliable public servant," she added.
In other significant changes, Varun Gandhi has been replaced by Jitin Prasada in Pilibhit, while his mother Maneka Gandhi has been retained from Sultanpur. Additionally, the list features Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from Sambalpur and Sambit Patra from Puri. Actor Arun Govil, known for his portrayal of Ram in the popular TV serial Ramayan, will be contesting from the Meerut Lok Sabha seat.
The BJP's roster for the elections also witnessed the dropping of ex-Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde from the Uttara Kannada constituency.
In Bihar, Union Ministers R.K Singh, Nityanand Rai, and Giriraj Singh have been nominated from Arrah, Ujiarpur, and Begusarai respectively. Meanwhile, former Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Radha Mohan Singh, and Ram Kripal Yadav will represent Patna Sahib, Saran, Purvi Champaran, and Pataliputra respectively.
The BJP's announcement covers candidates for 18 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, with the remaining constituencies yet to be named. Notably, four sitting MPs have been dropped from the list.
The Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in seven phases, commencing from April 19 and concluding on June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
Tags:
India