BJP releases second list of LS candidates, 20 names from Maharashtra included

File pic

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released second list of its candidates nominated for Lok Sabha 2024 elections. The list includes 72 names. From Maharashtra 20 candidates are nominated.

Some of the major names from Maharashtra are, Pankaja Munde nominated from Beed Lok Sabha constituency, Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur, Sudhir Mungantiwar from Chandrapur, Raosaheb Danve from Jalna, Smita Wagh from Jalgaon, Raksha Khadse from Raver, Bharati Pawar from Dindore, Sujay Vikhe Patil from Ahmednagar among others.

Pankaja Munde has replaced her sister and incumbent MP Pritam Munde.

From Mumbai North, Piyush Goyal has been nominated, dropping sitting MP Gopal Shetty. While, from Mumbai North East, Mihir Kotecha has been nominated, dropping sitting MP Manoj Kotak. From Pune, the BJP has nominated Murlidhar Mohol.

Also Read: Can BJP achieve its 370-plus seats target in 2024 Lok Sabha polls?

In Delhi, BJP has fielded two new candidates, Harsh Malhotra from East Delhi and Yogendra Chandolia from North West Delhi, dropping the party's sitting MPs Gautam Gambhir and Hans Raj Hans. With this, the BJP has named candidates for all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, dropping six incumbents.

Some other prominent names included in the second list of BJP's Lok Sabha candidates are, Anurag Singh Thakur from Hamipur (Himachal Pradesh), Manohar Lal Khattar from Karnal (Haryana), Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South among others.

Also Read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Disagreement over seat allocation within the Maha Vikas Aghadi!

Notably, M L Khattar, who resigned as Haryana's CM on Tuesday and union minister Piyush Goyal, a three-term Rajya Sabha member will be making their Lok Sabha poll debut. While, union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Anurag Thakur will seek re-election from Nagpur.

BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni will also be fighting his first Lok Sabha poll as the BJP fielded him from Garhwal, replacing former Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat. Former Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel has been dropped from Dakshina Kannada in favour of Brijesh Chowta, who has served in the Army. Union minister Pralhad Joshi will fight from Dharwad.

Of the total 72 in the second list for which the party announced its candidates, 20 each were from Maharashtra and Karnataka, seven from Gujarat, six each from Haryana and Telangana, five from Madhya Pradesh, two each from Delhi, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and one each from Tripura, and Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.

The BJP had released its first list of Lok Sabha candidates last week, which included 195 constituencies.

(With PTI inputs)