BJP Names 111 Lok Sabha Candidates: Drops Ministers, Includes Actors

In a significant reshuffle ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced 111 new candidates, making notable exclusions and additions to its lineup. The list, released on March 24 in New Delhi, saw the dropping of Union ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and V K Singh, alongside MP Varun Gandhi. In a move that has caught the public eye, actors Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil have been given tickets, marking their entry into the electoral arena.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is set to contest from Sambalpur, while BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra will aim for victory in Puri, a seat he narrowly missed in 2019. The party has also decided against fielding former Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde, known for his hardline Hindutva stance and controversial remarks.

The BJP's latest candidate list reveals that nearly 37 sitting MPs have been denied tickets. This includes nine MPs from Uttar Pradesh, five from Gujarat, four from Odisha, and three each from Bihar, Karnataka, and Jharkhand. Notably, this count excludes those who have recently won assembly elections or have assumed other significant political roles.

Kerala BJP President K Surendra is set to challenge from Wayanad, a constituency currently held by Rahul Gandhi of the Congress. In West Bengal, the BJP has nominated Rekha Patra from Basirhat, aiming to challenge the Trinamool Congress in the state.

The party has confirmed its candidates for all 17 seats in Bihar. Union Minister Giriraj Singh and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad are among those renominated. In Uttar Pradesh, 13 additional candidates have been named, with Jitin Prasada set to contest from Pilibhit and Atul Garg replacing V K Singh in Ghaziabad.

Three new joiners to the BJP were also included in the list: Naveen Jindal from Kurukshetra and Ranjit Chautala from Hisar in Haryana, along with Varaprasad Rao from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

With this announcement, the BJP has now named 398 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Among the new faces are Kangana Ranaut from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh and Arun Govil from Meerut. Sita Soren is set to contest from Dumka in Jharkhand, while former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar will represent Belgaum.

The party has also made strategic changes in West Bengal by nominating former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay from Tamluk and shifting Dilip Ghosh to Bardhaman–Durgapur. Additionally, it has named candidates across several states including Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.

In Andhra Pradesh, BJP President D Purandeswari will contest from Rajahmundry and former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy from Rajampet. This comes as part of the party's alliance strategy with the TDP and Jana Sena in the state. Furthermore, BJP Vice President Baijayant Panda is set to contest from Kendrapara, a seat he previously held as a BJD member.

This reshuffle by the BJP reflects its strategy to infuse fresh faces while making tough decisions on incumbents. As the Lok Sabha elections approach, these moves are poised to shape the political landscape significantly.