Rajnath to file nomination on April 29

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to file nomination for Lucknow Lok Sabha seat on April 29. BJP leaders confirm for May 20 polls, seeking third term.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh will file his nomination for Lucknow Lok Sabha seat on April 29, BJP leaders confirmed on Sunday. Lucknow will go to polls along with 13 other constituencies on May 20 in the fifth of the seven-phased 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Before contesting his first election from Lucknow in 2014, Rajnath Singh had won Lok Sabha polls from Ghaziabad in 2009. (HT file)

Lucknow BJP chief Anand Dwivedi said Rajnath will proceed to file his nomination papers from the UP BJP office opposite the Vidhan Sabha.

“From there, he would proceed on a motorised chariot to the collectorate to file his nomination along with ministers, mayor, senior party functionaries and others from 10 am,” Dwivedi said. Rajnath is seeking a third consecutive term as a Lok Sabha MP from Lucknow.

Before contesting his first election from Lucknow in 2014, Rajnath had won the Lok Sabha polls from Ghaziabad in 2009. At that time, former governor the late Lalji Tandon was the Lucknow MP after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee bowed out of electoral politics after serving as Lucknow MP for five consecutive terms.

Dwivedi also said on April 26, OP Shrivastava, the BJP candidate for Lucknow (east) assembly by-polls, would file his nomination. The by-poll to the seat, polling for which would also be held on May 20, was necessitated due to the demise of sitting lawmaker Ashutosh Tandon Gopal.