The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its initial list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the national capital on March 2. The list includes prominent names like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will contest from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who will run from Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
Key Highlights of the Candidate List
The list comprises 34 Union Ministers and Ministers of State and was revealed just before the Election Commission of India (ECI) announces the dates for the Lok Sabha polls 2024. Notable inclusions are Defence Minister Rajnath Singh contesting from Lucknow and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani from Amethi.
Regional Distribution and Demographics
Out of the 195 constituencies, Uttar Pradesh has 51 seats, West Bengal has 20, and Delhi has five. The list features 28 women, 47 leaders under the age of 50, and 57 members from the OBC community. The announcement was made by BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde in the presence of BJP National Vice President Jay Panda.
Prominent Candidates Across States
Other prominent figures included in the list are Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna, Hema Malini from Mathura, and Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla from Kota. Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini will contest from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.
Goals for the Upcoming Polls
The BJP has set a target of 370+ seats for itself and 400+ for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming polls. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw the BJP secure a landslide victory under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, winning 303 seats in the 543-member House.
Preparation and Speculation
Speculation over the candidate list began after a lengthy meeting of BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) on February 29. During the meeting, two sitting MPs, Gautam Gambhir from East Delhi and Jayant Sinha from Hazaribagh, announced their decision not to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
Attendance at the Meeting
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP’s national President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and other key party officials. Additionally, Chief Ministers of several states were also present, reflecting the party’s concerted efforts towards the upcoming elections.