Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP's second list shows fresh strategy
Karnataka emerged as the state with the highest number of incumbents replaced. The BJP opted to bench 10 sitting MPs out of the 20 names unveiled on Wednesday. Maharashtra, Delhi, and Gujarat saw seven, six, and five sitting MPs being benched respectively.
FollowThe second list of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024, which was released on Wednesday (March 13), includes several prominent names and notable changes, reflecting strategic decisions by the party leadership.
Among the prominent figures featured in the second list are senior BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, along with his colleagues in the central ministry including Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi, Anurag Thakur, and Rao Inderjit Singh. Additionally, the list includes just-ousted Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, and former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat.
The second list marks significant changes compared to the previous one, notably dropping incumbents in favour of fresh faces. Notable changes include Karnataka cardiologist and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda's son-in-law C.N. Manjunath contesting from Bengaluru (Rural), and the party's media head Anil Baluni making his debut in Pauri-Garhwal, replacing former Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat. Furthermore, Pankaja Munde replaces her younger sibling Pritam in Maharashtra’s Beed constituency.
The list also indicates a shift in Karnataka politics, with former Karnataka CM and ex-Union Minister Sadananda Gowda being replaced by Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje in Bangalore North, among other changes.
In Delhi, veterans like Yogendra Chandaulia and Harsh Malhotra have been named as candidates, replacing incumbents like Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans and ex-cricketer Gautam Gambhir respectively.
Maharashtra sees several changes, including the retention of Raksha Nikhil Khadse in Raver despite her father-in-law and party veteran Eknath Khadse’s switch to NCP. Sudhir Mungantiwar, a prominent OBC face, has been fielded from Chandrapur.
The move to shift Pankaja Munde, daughter of late stalwart Gopinath Munde, is seen as an attempt to address her discontent over the denial of candidacy, following her defeat in the assembly polls and the rise of her estranged cousin Dhananjay Munde.
However, the party is yet to finalize candidates in states like Bihar and Odisha, where negotiations with existing and potential allies are ongoing.
In Haryana, the nomination of Ashok Tanwar in Sirsa (SC) indicates the party's strategic focus on garnering support from the Ravidas community, which holds a significant share of the SC population in the state.
Additionally, candidates for remaining Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh have been declared, including Vivek Bunty Sahu who will challenge sitting Congress MP Nakul Nath in Chhindwara.
