The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its second list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, featuring prominent names including Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Anurag Thakur, Pralhad Joshi, and Piyush Goyal.
Nitin Gadkari will contest from Nagpur, while Anurag Thakur will represent Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh. Pralhad Joshi will contest from Dharwad, and Piyush Goyal, who serves as the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, will contest from Mumbai North.
The list, comprising 72 candidates, spans across 10 states and one union territory. Notably, all seats have been declared for Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Tripura, and Uttarakhand. While some expected faces have made it to the list, there have also been significant changes, with around 29 MPs being replaced.
A unique situation has emerged in the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli concerning BJP candidate Kalaben Delkar. Ms. Kelkar, the sitting MP from the seat, won in a bypoll in 2021 following the demise of her husband Mohan Delkar. Interestingly, she was fielded in that bypoll by the Shiv Sena. The case surrounding Mohan Delkar’s death, investigated by the Mumbai Police based on a note left by him, involved BJP district leader Praful Patel (later Lt. Governor of Lakshadweep).
This latest list underscores the BJP’s strategic moves as the Lok Sabha elections draw closer, with the party aiming to maintain its political stronghold while introducing fresh faces to the electoral landscape.
