Lok Sabha Polls: BJP Releases 2nd List Of 72 Candidates, Gadkari, Goyal And Khattar In Fray

With addition of 72 candidates to the list, BJP has now announced 267 candidates for the polls ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections schedule.    

New Delhi: Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released the second list of 72 candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. On Monday, BJP's Central Election Committee’s (CEC) second meeting was held in the national capital, where the names of the candidates were finalised. 

Earlier this month, BJP released the first list of 195 candidates for the elections. With addition of 72 candidates to the list, BJP has now announced 267 candidates for the polls ahead of the announcemnt of the Lok Sabha elections schedule.    

Among the prominent candidates were former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat from Haridwar, former Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar from Karnal, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur, Union Minister Piyush Goyal from Mumbai North. Union Minister Anurag Thakur has been fielded from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur, Pralhad Joshi was fielded from Dharwad, Tejasvi Surya was given a ticket from Bangalore South, while former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai got a ticket from Haveri.  

During Monday's CEC meeting, several senior party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, went over a list of potential candidates who have made the cut to the final list. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda have had a series of talks with state leaders to compile a list of possible candidates before the CEC meeting. 

Earlier this month, the BJP unveiled its first list of 195 candidates, which included some heavyweights such as PM Modi from Varanasi, Amit Shah from Gujarat's Gandhinagar, and Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia from Bhopal's Guna. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, ran for the Vidisha seat.

Meanwhile, Bhojpuri musician Pawan Singh who had withdrawn from the Lok Sabha contest owing to controversy, after the BJP announced his name in the first list, earlier in the day said he has decided to contest the polls.

Taking to X, Singh wrote, "I will contest elections to fulfil the promise made to my community, the public, and mother." 

Pawan Singh had withdrawn his nomination from Bengal's Asansol after it sparked a major backlash, with many pointing out that his music included derogatory remarks against Bengali women.

Another BJP leader Upendra Rawat withdrew from Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki constituency after an objectionable video purportedly featuring him went viral.