In its latest move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has disclosed its fifth list of candidates for the approaching Lok Sabha elections, adding 111 more contenders to its lineup. With this list, BJP has finalised 398 nominees for the elections, with only a handful of positions yet to be filled.
Former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi continues to represent the Sultanpur constituency, while her son Varun Gandhi has been replaced by Uttar Pradesh Minister Jitin Prasada in Pilibhit. Varun Gandhi, who clinched victory in Pilibhit in 2009, had been moved to Sultanpur in 2014. However, he returned to Pilibhit in 2019, securing a third consecutive term.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut is among the notable candidates announced by the BJP. She will contest from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, while veteran actor Arun Govil, renowned for his portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramayan, will stand in Meerut. Additionally, Sita Soren, the sister-in-law of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, has joined BJP and will run from Dumka after leaving the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
Former Karnataka CM Jagadish Shettar, who briefly left the BJP for the Congress before returning, will contest from Belgaum. In West Bengal, ex-Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay will represent the BJP in Tamluk, while Dilip Ghosh moves from Medinipur to Bardhaman – Durgapur, replacing SS Ahluwalia.
The BJP’s candidates list covers multiple States, including seven from Rajasthan, four each from Haryana, Karnataka, and Kerala, 18 from Odisha, and three each from Maharashtra and Jharkhand. In Andhra Pradesh, party president D Purandeswari will contest from Rajahmundry, and former CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy from Rajampet.
Moreover, BJP vice president Baijayant Panda will contest from Kendrapara, a constituency he has represented twice as a BJD member, marking a significant move for the party in Odisha.
