Delhi BJP Candidate List 2024: Seven Sitting MPs Dropped, New Faces Introduced For Lok Sabha Polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its second list of candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, marking a significant move as it dropped seven out of six sitting MPs. Notable exclusions from the first list included former Union health minister Harsh Vardhan (Chandni Chowk), Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi (New Delhi), former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma's son Parvesh Verma (West Delhi), and Ramesh Bidhuri (South Delhi).

In a surprising turn, cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir, representing East Delhi, announced his withdrawal from the electoral race via social media. Stepping into his shoes, the saffron party announced Harsh Malhotra, former mayor of the erstwhile East Delhi Municipal Corporation, as his replacement.

Amidst the changes, only Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tiwari managed to retain his ticket for North East Delhi. However, the list also saw the dropping of two other candidates, including Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans, who secured victory from North West Delhi in 2019. BJP's recent announcement placed Yogendra Chandolia, former mayor of North Delhi, as Hans' successor.

Notably, all three general secretaries of the Delhi unit of BJP have been fielded in the Lok Sabha polls, with Kamaljeet Sehrawat declared as the candidate for the West Delhi constituency.

Virendraa Sachdeva, state BJP president, extended congratulations to Malhotra and Chandolia, emphasizing Delhi's readiness to secure Narendra Modi's third consecutive term as prime minister by ensuring victory on all seven Lok Sabha seats.

In Delhi, the BJP faces stiff competition from the INDIA bloc, comprising AAP and Congress, in the upcoming polls. As per a seat-sharing agreement, the AAP contests four constituencies, while the Congress is yet to announce its candidates for the remaining three seats obtained from its INDIA bloc partner AAP.