Lok Sabha elections 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (March 2) announced the list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The party announced the most number of candidates from the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP declared 51 candidates. The party has set an ambitious target of sweeping over 75 seats out of the 80 seats in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most high-profile name in the list, who will be contesting for the third time from Varanasi. He contested from the constituency for the first time in 2014.
Some other big names who feature in the list include Union Minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, and his Cabinet colleague, Smriti Irani from Amethi.
Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sources earlier claimed that Congress may field Rahul Gandhi once again from the Amethi seat this time.
Other popular faces contesting Lok Sabha polls on BJP ticket from Uttar Pradesh include former minister Mahesh Sharma (Gautam Budh Nagar), Satyapal Singh (Agra), actress-turned-politician Hema Malini (Mathura), Ravi Kishen (Gorakhpur), Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua (Azamgarh), Sanjeev Balyan (Muzaffarnagar), Ajay Mishra Teni (Lakhimpur Kheri), Mahendra Nath Pandey (Chandauli), Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Fatehpur), Sakshi Maharaj (Unnao), among others.
Nirahua, a popular Bhojpuri actor-singer, created upheaval in Samajwadi Party's circles in 2019 elections by snatching Azamgarh, the party's bastion, while Ravi Kishen won Gorakhpur LS seat by a landslide margin.
BJP leader Ravi Kishan thanked the BJP for exuding confidence in him and said that the party will register a historic victory.
"I want to thank the top leadership wholeheartedly... The organization gave me a second chance from the hottest seat after Kashi. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire organization and Prime Minister Modi. I will maintain this trust...BJP will win 400 seats and Gorakhpur seat will create history."
Check full list of candidates from for Pradesh:
Check full list of candidates for Uttarakhand:
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