BJP's 1st list of 195 candidates for Lok Sabha Elections: PM Modi to contest from Varanasi; full list here

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday unveiled its first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, revealing a diverse array of nominees spanning various regions and demographics. Among the prominent figures featured in the list are 34 Union ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is set to contest from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and Home Minister Amit Shah, contesting from Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Additionally, the BJP's candidate roster includes two former ministers and the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister, is slated to contest from Lucknow, while Smriti Irani will once again vie for victory from Amethi, the constituency where she scored a surprise win against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in 2019.

The diverse lineup comprises 34 ministers, including two former chief ministers, along with 28 women, 47 leaders under the age of 50, and 57 members from the OBC community. Uttar Pradesh holds particular significance, with 51 candidates nominated from the state, while West Bengal and Delhi feature prominently with 20 and 5 candidates, respectively.

Addressing the media, BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde emphasized the pivotal role of Prime Minister Modi's leadership in driving public interest initiatives over the past decade. He called for a resolute commitment from the BJP and its allies, setting ambitious targets of winning 370 seats for the BJP and 400 seats for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The list further highlights the BJP's strategic electoral focus, with candidates announced for key battleground states. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has revealed nominees for 51 Lok Sabha seats, while fielding candidates for 20 seats in West Bengal, five in Delhi, and one each in Goa and Tripura.

In Delhi, candidates like Praveen Khandelwal, Manoj Tiwari, and Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj, are among the prominent nominees.

Mansukh Mandaviya, the Health Minister and former Rajya Sabha member, will now vie for the Porbandar seat in Gujarat. In Thiruvananthapuram, an intriguing battle is anticipated as Rajeev Chandrasekhar, another Rajya Sabha member and minister, steps into the electoral fray against incumbent Congress representative Shashi Tharoor.

Jyotiraditya Scindia is set to contest from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, while Bhupender Yadav, currently a Rajya Sabha MP, will be fielded from Alwar. In a significant move, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who missed the chief ministerial position in Madhya Pradesh despite the BJP's notable victory last year, appears poised for a national role as he gears up to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Vidisha.

Here's the complete list of 195 candidates: