In the two lists released by the BJP, a total of 267 candidates have been named for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Almost 21% of the incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) have not been fielded again. This strategic move is attributed to the party’s anticipation of potential anti-incumbency sentiment based on ground-level feedback.
The selection of candidates holds significant importance, especially considering the BJP’s ambitious goal of securing 370 seats independently in the upcoming polls. This objective necessitates winning 67 more constituencies compared to its performance in 2019.
In the initial list unveiled on March 2, only 33 MPs, including prominent figures like Pragya Thakur, Ramesh Bidhuri, and Parvesh Verma, were replaced despite the announcement of 195 candidates. However, the subsequent list, released on Wednesday, witnessed a more substantial overhaul, with 30 MPs being replaced among the 72 newly named candidates.
Out of the total 267 candidates listed across both announcements, a significant portion comprises sitting MPs, totaling 140 and 67 MPs have been denied ticket re-nomination. Among these, two MPs, including Gautam Gambhir, opted not to contest.
In the second list of candidates, the BJP has announced 20 names each from Maharashtra and Karnataka, seven from Gujarat, six each from Telangana and Haryana, five from Madhya Pradesh, two each from Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, and one from Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
In Delhi, notable changes include the replacement of six sitting MPs, with only one, Manoj Tiwari, receiving a ticket again. Meanwhile, in Karnataka, out of the 20 candidates announced, 11 sitting MPs have been replaced, while only eight have been retained.
Maharashtra presents a different scenario, with 14 sitting MPs being repeated and only five cancelled. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will fight from his Nagpur seat, while Pritam Munde has been replaced by her sister, Pankaja Munde, in Beed.
For Gujarat, out of the seven sitting MPs in the second list, only three have been retained. Union Minister Darshana Jardosh has been replaced by Mukesh Dalal.
In Haryana, among the six declared candidates, three sitting MPs have been retained while two have been replaced. A new candidate has been named for a constituency following the demise of the sitting MP.
In Telangana, where the BJP secured only four seats previously, one sitting MP has been repeated while another’s ticket has been cancelled.
Moving to Madhya Pradesh, among the five candidates announced, two sitting MPs have been retained, while two have been omitted. A fresh face, Vivek Sahu, will challenge Nakul Nath in the Chhindwara constituency, the sole seat lost by the BJP in the state in 2019.
In Himachal Pradesh, both MPs named in the second list are receiving tickets again, including Union Minister Anurag Thakur from Hamirpur. However, in Uttarakhand, both sitting MPs have been replaced.
Tripura witnesses an MP replacement, while the Dadra and Nagar Haveli MP, formerly aligned with the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, will now contest on a BJP ticket.