BJP nominates industrialist Naveen Jindal, actor Kangana Ranaut, Menaka Gandhi, Sambit Patra among others for Lok Sabha 2024

Naveen Jindal joined BJP on Sunday. Pic/PTI

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) released its fifth list of Lok Sabha candidates with 111 more nominated candidates including new joinee industrialist Naveen Jindal from Kurukshetra and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.

Among some other prominent names, BJP has fielded union minister Dharmendra Pradhan from Sambalpur, Odisha and its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri, Odisha where he lost in 2019. Actor Arun Govil, who played Ram in popular TV serial Ramayan is fielded by BJP from Meerut Lok Sabha seat. While, Maneka Gandhi is fielded from Sultanpur.

From Maharashtra, the BJP has nominated three more candidates, namely Ram Satpute from Solapur, Sunil Mendhe from Bhandara Gondia and Ashok Nete from Gadchiroli Chimur.

The BJP's fifth list of candidates for upcoming Lok Sabha election includes, 19 candidates from West Bengal, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 17 from Bihar, 18 from Odisha, seven from Rajasthan, six from Gujarat among others.

Polling for Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be conducted in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.

The nomination of industrialist and former Congressman Naveen Jindal and actor Kangana Ranaut came as a surprise. Jindal represented the Kurukshetra constituency in the Lok Sabha for two terms (2004-2014). However, he lost to the BJP's Raj Kumar Saini in the 2014 and was not fielded by the Congress in 2019.

While, Ranaut is fielded from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh the stronghold of Congress.

The BJP dropped union ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and V K Singh and also sitting MP Varun Gandhi.