New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has replaced at least 33 sitting MPs with new faces in its initial list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections., signaling significant changes in the party’s lineup in several states.
The initial roster for the Lok Sabha polls from the saffron party comprises 195 candidates. Among them are 34 central ministers and two ex-chief ministers hailing from Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura, and West Bengal.
In Assam, the party has introduced five fresh candidates, while retaining six sitting MPs. In the Silchar constituency, Rajdeep Roy has been replaced with Parimal Suklabaidhya. Amar Singh Tisso has been nominated for the Autonomous District (ST) seat, now held by MP Horen Singh Bey.
Bijuli Kalita Medhi will be the candidate from Gauhati Lok Sabha seat, held by MP Queen Oja. Ranjit Dutta is set to contest from Tezpur, currently represented by Pallab Lochan Das. Additionally, Union Minister Sarbanand Sonowal will be replacing MP Rameswar Teli in the Dibrugarh constituency.
In Chattisgarh, the BJP has introduced four fresh candidates. Senior BJP leader Brijmohan Agrawal has been nominated for the Raipur seat, replacing sitting MP Sunil Kumar Soni. Kamlesh Jangde will be contesting from the Janjgir Champa (SC) constituency, taking over from incumbent MP Guharam Ajgalley.
Roop Kumari Choudhary has been fielded in Mahasamund, with the party deciding to replace MP Chunni Lal Sahu for this seat, while Mohan Mandavi has been substituted by Bhojraj Nag in Kanker (ST).
Among the five BJP candidates announced in Delhi, four are replacements for sitting MPs. Former Union Minister Harsh Vardhan has been dropped as a candidate for the Chandani Chowk Lok Sabha seat, which has been allocated to Praveen Khandelwal.
In West Delhi, two-term MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma has been substituted with Kamaljeet Sehrawat. Bansuri Swaraj, the daughter of the late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, has been nominated as the candidate for the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, as Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi, the sitting MP, did not secure a place on the list.
Ramesh Biduri, known for making controversial remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali in Parliament, has been replaced with Ramvir Singh Bidhuri for South Delhi by the party.
In Gujarat, the BJP has decided to drop five sitting MPs as the part announced candidates for 15 Lok Sabha seats.
Rekhaben Hiteshbhai Choudhary has been chosen as the candidate for the Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat, replacing sitting MP Prabhatbhai Savabhai Patel. Tree-term MP Kirit Solanki has been replaced in the Ahmedabad West (SC) constituency by Dineshbhai Kidarbhai Makwana.
In Rajkot, the BJP has announced Union Minister Parshottam Rupala as its candidate, replacing sitting MP Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been nominated as the candidate for the Porbandar seat, which is currently held by party MP Rameshbhai Lavjibhai Dhaduk.
Rajpalsingh Mahendrasinh Jadhav has been selected to contest from the Panchmahal seat, replacing sitting MP Ratansinh Magansinh Rathod.
In Jharkhand, Manish Jaiswal has been named as the BJP candidate for Hazaribagh, replacing former Union Minister Jayant Sinha, son of former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha. Sinha announced his decision to opt out of the Lok Sabha polls a day before the BJP’s list announcement. Additionally, Samir Oraon has been selected to replace three-time MP Sudarshan Bhagat in Lohardaga (ST).
The BJP’s list for Madhya Pradesh includes seven new candidates. Bharat Singh Kushwaha has been nominated to contest the Gwalior Lok Sabha seat, replacing sitting MP Vivek Narayan Shejwalker.
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has been selected to replace sitting MP Krishnapal Singh Yadav in the Guna constituency. Lata Wankhede has been named as the candidate for the Sagar Lok Sabha seat, currently held by Rajbahadur Singh. Virendra Khatik will be contesting from the Tikamgarh (SC) seat.
Vidisha MP Ramakant Bhargava has been replaced, and the seat has been assigned to former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Alok Sharma will be contesting for Bhopal seat, currently held by Sadhvi Pragya Singh. The Ratlam (ST) seat, currently represented by BJP MP Guman Singh Damor, has been allocated to Anita Nagar Singh Chauhan.
As the party announced candidates for 15 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan, it opted to replace five sitting MPs. New candidates have been nominated to contest from the Churu, Bharatpur, Jalore, Udaipur, and Banswara constituencies.
Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been named as the candidate for the Tripura West seat, currently held by party MP Pratima Bhoumik.
In West Bengal, Alipurduar MP John Barla has been substituted with Manoj Tigga as the candidate. The Lok Sabha elections are anticipated to happen before May this year, while the Election Commission is expected to declare the poll dates after March 13.
