BJP Set to Release First Candidate List for 2024 Lok Sabha Poll, Includes Key Figures Modi and Shah

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 1st March. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to unveil its first list of candidates, including approximately 100 names, for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election. This announcement, expected later today, follows extensive overnight deliberations in Delhi, including a meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence, which lasted from 11 pm on Thursday until 4 am on Friday.

Sources indicate that the BJP’s election strategy, as it vies for a third term, revolves around garnering feedback on incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs), engaging with grassroots-level workers, and assessing voter sentiment in their respective constituencies. The party aims to strategically reshuffle candidates to mitigate any anti-incumbency bias.

The focus of the Thursday night to Friday morning meeting was on selecting candidates for the Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, along with Prime Minister Modi’s home state of Gujarat. Additionally, attention was directed towards the southern states of Kerala and Telangana, where the BJP aims to strengthen its presence. Discussions for other states, including Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu, have been deferred pending alliance negotiations with regional parties.

Speculation surrounds the inclusion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in the first candidate list. Prime Minister Modi is expected to contest from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi constituency, a BJP stronghold since 1991. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah may stand for election from Gujarat’s Gandhinagar, a seat held by the BJP since 1989.

Other notable figures anticipated in the first candidate list include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Rajnath Singh is likely to contest from Lucknow, another BJP stronghold, while Jyotiraditya Scindia is expected to stand from Madhya Pradesh’s Guna-Shivpuri constituency, a traditional bastion for his family.

Additionally, former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal may contest from Assam’s Dibrugarh, with the BJP aiming to field candidates strategically across the state in collaboration with its allies.

Amidst speculation, it is rumored that firebrand Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur may not seek re-election, with former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan possibly offered her seat. However, Mr. Chouhan reportedly expressed his desire to contest from his home district of Vidisha instead.

The BJP’s election strategy also includes allocating seats to regional allies, with discussions underway to leave six seats in Uttar Pradesh for partners like the Apna Dal and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. Overall, the party aims to finalize at least 50 percent of its candidate list by March 10, replicating its approach from the 2019 Lok Sabha election.