Lok Sabha polls 2024: BJP releases first list of candidates, PM Modi to contest from UP's Varanasi

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday released its first list of 195 Lok Sabha candidates from 16 states and two Union Territories ahead of the general elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest from Varanasi for the third time.

#WATCH | BJP announces first list of 195 candidates for Lok Sabha elections; PM Modi to contest from Varanasi. pic.twitter.com/SSC8H3MSLT

— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2024

The announcement of the list, which includes 34 Union Ministers and Ministers of State(MoS) and two former Chief Ministers, comes after the saffron party held a meeting of BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) chaired by PM Modi.

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While announcing the list, BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde said that the first list includes 28 women candidates, 47 youths, 27 Scheduled Caste, 18 Scheduled Tribe and 57 OBC candidates.

Number of seats in each state in the first list

Uttar Pradesh: 51

West Bengal: 20

Madhya Pradesh: 24

Gujarat: 15

Rajasthan: 15

Kerala: 12

Telangana: 9

Assam: 11

Jharkhand: 11

Chhattisgarh: 11

Delhi: 5

Jammu and Kashmir: 2

Uttarakhand: 3

Arunachal Pradesh: 2

Goa: 1

Tripura: 1

Andaman & Nicobar: 1

Daman & Diu: 1

Key takeaways

-Among Union Ministers, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will run from Lucknow, Minister of Women Smriti Irani will contest from Amethi, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will fight from Gujrat’s Porbandar and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will contest from Guna in Madhya Pradesh

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-Thiruvananthapuram will see MoS Rajeev Chandrashekhar up against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor

-BJP has decided to repeat Kiren Rijiju and Tapir Gao to run for the two seats in Arunachal Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections

BJP releases first list of 195 candidates for Lok Sabha elections pic.twitter.com/ms1zTtzLfL

— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2024

-Meanwhile, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was not made the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh after the saffron party emerged victorious in the state, will likely assume a national position and run from Vidisha

-In Delhi, the BJP has announced five of seven candidates: North-East Delhi-Manoj Tiwari; New Delhi-Bansuri Swaraj; West Delhi-Kamaljeet Sehrawat; South Delhi-Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Delhi Chandni Chowk- Praveen Khandelwal