BJP Blares Horn for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, PM Modi from Varanasi

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party has sounded the bugle for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party released its first list of candidates on Saturday. National Secretary Vinod Tawde stated that candidates for 195 seats in 16 states and two union territories have been finalized, with discussions ongoing for the remaining seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest from Varanasi, while Amit Shah will enter the electoral fray from Gandhinagar. The list also includes names of 34 central and state ministers, as well as the daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj.

What’s special about the BJP’s first list?

• Announcement of 195 names

• Inclusion of 34 central and state ministers

• Opportunity given to 28 women

• 47 young candidates under the age of 50

• 27 candidates from scheduled castes

• 18 candidates from scheduled tribes

• 57 candidates from other backward classes

Vinod Tawde revealed that candidates have been finalized for various constituencies across states such as Uttar Pradesh (51), West Bengal (26), Madhya Pradesh (24), Gujarat (15), Rajasthan (15), Kerala (12), Telangana (9), Assam (11), Jharkhand (11), Chhattisgarh (11), and other states. Additionally, candidates have been selected for one seat each in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Daman and Diu.

Candidate Selections by Region:

• Narendra Modi from Varanasi

• Vishnupada Ray from Andaman and Nicobar

• Kiran Rijiju from Arunachal West

• Tapir Gao from Arunachal East (And so on, with names from various states listed)

Prior to this, on February 29th, the party deliberated until late night. The Central Election Committee, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Party President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and other members, finalized several names. Speculations arose post the meeting that the party might announce candidates for 100 to 125 seats for the Lok Sabha elections. Discussions also took place regarding the seats where the party faced defeat in the 2014-2019 elections. The party is also preparing to field the highest number of female candidates ever, aiming to nominate 70 women out of the total candidates, compared to 53 in the 2019 elections.