Rajnath, Dr Joshi and Kalyan to contest Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi, Nov 11 (UNI) Taking a lead over other political parties the BJP today released its first list of 11 candidates for the coming Lok Sabha polls fielding its President Rajnath Singh from Ghaziabad, former party President Murli Manohar Joshi from Varanasi and former U P Chief Minister Kalyan Singh from Etah.

The list approved by the Central Election Committee of the BJP also contains the name of former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi from Anwla while her son Varun Gandhi will contest from Pilibheet, a constituency represented by his mother.

The party has nominted BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi from Rampur, Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur, Deputy Chief Whip in Lok Sabha Santosh Gangwar from Bareli, Pankaj Chaudhary from Maharajganj.

Former Union Minister Ashok Pradhan has been shifted to Bulandshahr after it has been made a reserved constituency in the delimitation exercise. Mr Kalyan Singh is the MP from this constituency. Mr Bhanupratap Verma has been nominated to contest Jalaun (SC).

Mr Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi and Mr Naqvi are all Rajya Sabha members. party obviously wants its heavy weights to be in the Lower House at a time when the party is making all out efforts to win the maximum number of seats for the NDA.

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