Lok Sabha Polls: In 8th Candidate List, BJP Bets On Turncoats In Odisha, Punjab; Fields Ex-Ambassador From Amritsar

The Bharatiya Janata Party has up to now introduced the names of 118 candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The occasion launched its eighth listing of 11 candidates yesterday which had names of a number of turncoats and even a shocking title of a international ambassador. The listing had names from three states – Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal. The listing places BJP manner forward of the Congress because the grand outdated occasion is but to announce names on the vast majority of seats. 

BJP’s Odisha List

The BJP nominated Bhartruhari Mahtab from the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat. A sitting MP from the seat on the BJD ticket, Mahtab just lately joined the BJP. Mahtab, a six-time MP, had on March 22 resigned from the BJD. Other names within the listing embody Rabindra Narayan Behera, a former director of the National Informatics Centre, from Jajpur and Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi from Kandhamal. The BJP had earlier introduced candidates for 18 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha.

BJP’s Punjab List

The saffron occasion stunned everybody by fielding former Indian ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu from the Amritsar seat in Punjab. Hans Raj Hans, who misplaced their occasion ticket from North West Delhi, has now been fielded from the Amritsar seat. Former AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, who just lately joined the BJP, obtained a ticket from the Jalandhar seat whereas former Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu obtained a ticket from Ludhiana. Dinesh Singh Babbu has changed star Sunny Deol from the Gurdaspur seat. The occasion additionally fielded Preneet Kaur, spouse of Capain Amarinder Singh, from Patiala.

Why Sandhu From Amritsar?

The BJP has been actively working to increase its assist base amongst Sikhs, who represent a majority in Punjab, with hopes of constructing important positive aspects within the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The occasion is especially centered on reclaiming the Amritsar seat, which it hasn’t held since Navjot Singh Sidhu’s victory in 2009. However, Sidhu, now with the Congress occasion, at the moment holds the seat, represented by Gurjeet Singh Aujla. Both Arun Jaitley and Hardeep Singh Puri, BJP candidates and present Union ministers, confronted defeat within the 2014 and 2019 elections respectively.

BJP Candidate List So Far

On March 2, launched an inventory of 195 candidates. On March 13, it introduced the names of 72 candidates. On March 21, the BJP launched an inventory of 9 candidates for Tamil Nadu. On March 22, the occasion launched one other title of 15 candidates. On March 24, the occasion introduced the names of 111 candidates and on March 26, the occasion introduced three extra candidates – two from Rajasthan and one from Manipur. The occasion launched its seventh listing on March 27 which had two names. On March 30, the occasion launched the eighth listing of 11 candidates. With this, the occasion has up to now introduced the names of 118 candidates.