The BJP has for the first time named a Muslim woman as its candidate for the Lok Sabha polls. Jabeen Barbhuiyan will be the party nominee for the Dhubri seat in Assam.
Significantly, nine more sitting MPs were dropped as the party released its second list for the Lok Sabha polls, taking the total number of those who had been denied tickets to 17.
They included Union Mnister of State for Water Resources Bijoya Chakra-varty, who was by replaced singer Bhupen Hazarika for the Guwahati seat, and former Union Minister Sunderlal Patwa, who gave way to Sartaj Singh for the Hoshangabad seat.
BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan announced a list of 96 candidates on Monday evening. Among them was Minister of State for Coal Prahlad Singh Patel, who will contest the Chhindwara seat against the Congress’s Kamal Nath.
The BJP had on Sunday released 136 names in its first list. With Monday’s announcement, the party has so far named 236 candidates, of which 156 are sitting MPs.
Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi was named for the Bhagalpur seat. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs O. Rajagopal, a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh, will contest the Thiruvananthapuram seat.
{{/usCountry}}Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi was named for the Bhagalpur seat. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs O. Rajagopal, a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh, will contest the Thiruvananthapuram seat.
{{/usCountry}}Former union minister S Krishna Kumar, who joined the BJP last year has been fielded from Mavelikkara in Kerala.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Shipping Dilip Gandhi resigned from the Union Council of Minsters, a day after he was denied the Ahmednagar ticket.
BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu announced the entry into the party of RSP MP Piyus Tirkey, who represented Alipurduar constituency in West Bengal. The BJP’s final list containing remaining names will be released on March 21.