Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has so far announced a total of 267 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, to be held in April and May. The party declared candidates in two different lists. The first list of 195 candidates was announced on March 9 and the second list of 72 candidates was announced on Wednesday (March 13).
According to the candidates' announcement so far, the party has retained various big faces including Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, and Smriti Irani among others but it has also dropped various controversial candidates for the upcoming polls. Let's take a look at sitting MPs who have not been re-nominated.
Bhopal MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur
BJP has dropped its sitting MP from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in the upcoming polls. Pragya Singh Thakur has made various controversial statements including one on Godse.
She referred to Godse as a patriot in one of her speeches in the Parliament and faced massive backlash.
The BJP denounced her statements and stripped her of her position on the consultative committee on defence. She was also prevented from participating in parliamentary party meetings during the 2019 winter session.
Ramesh Bidhuri, incumbent South Delhi MP
BJP's sitting South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri has also been dropped in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Ramesh Bidhuri was slammed for his objectionable remarks against BSP leader Danish Ali.
His remarks were later expunged from the Parliament records.
Parvesh Verma, sitting West Delhi MP
Incumbent West Delhi MP, Parvesh Verma, has also been dropped by the BJP. Parvesh Verma was surrounded in a controversy after he made objectionable comments, calling for a total economic boycott of a particular community in October last year.
Jayant Sinha, incumbent MP, Hazaribag
Sitting Hazaribag MP and son of former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, Jayant Sinha has not been re-nominated by the saffron party.
According to reports, Jayant Sinha requested the party to relieve him from direct electoral duties.
Also in 2019, Sinha revealed that he along with other party leaders provided financial assistance to pay legal fees of the persons accused of lynching a meat trader in Jharkhand's Ramgarh in 2017.
Pratap Simha, sitting MP from Karnataka's Mysore seat
The BJP has dropped another sitting MP, Pratap Simha. He currently represents the Mysore seat in Karnataka.
Pratap Simha was surrounded in a controversy for issuing passes to people who were involved in the Parliament security breach incident on December 13, 2023.
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