23 March,2024 01:22 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
BJP Leader Vinod Tawde/ Screengrab
In the Lakshadweep seat for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its support for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
According to a report in ANI, Vinod Tawde, national general secretary of the BJP, declared on social media on Friday that "BJP extend complete support to NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate from Lakshadweep. Together NDA can and NDA will achieve victory!"
The NCP group led by Ajit Pawar has not yet decided on a single candidate for the Lakshadweep seat.
In a statement, Tawde's office said that Jagat Prakash Nadda, the national president of the BJP, advised them to back the NCP candidate in Lakshadweep.
Tawde also voiced optimism about the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, winning more seats in the Lok Sabha than 400. He reiterated his conviction that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be able to win reelection, the report stated.
"Under the leadership of National President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Jagat Prakash Nadda, the party has decided that in the parliamentary elections 2024, BJP will support the candidate of National Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) from Lakshadweep," the official statement from Tawde's office read, the report fu
The statement further read, "Under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NDA will cross the 400 mark. With the blessings of the public, the NDA government will be formed again at the Center under the leadership of the successful Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with a majority of more than 400."
In the preceding 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Hamdullah Sayeed of the Congress party was defeated by Mohammed Faizal PP of the NCP in the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency by a margin of 823 votes. Sayeed is standing for Congress again in this election cycle.
Elections in the Scheduled Tribes-only Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency are scheduled for April 19 in a single phase. Voting for the Lok Sabha will take place in seven stages between April 19 and June 1, with the results announced on June 4.
