The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) released the first list of 195 candidates on Saturday for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. With all the heavyweight leaders on the list, the party chose 34 ministers from Centre and states while two are former chief ministers. While announcing the first list, BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde said, PM Modi to contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi, Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiran Rijiju to contest from Arunachal West, BJP MP Bishnu Pada Ray to contest from Andaman & Nicobar, BJP MP Tapir Gao to contest from Arunachal East, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to contest from Dibrugarh.The list includes 47 youth candidates, 28 women candidates, 27 Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, 18 Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and 57 OBC/Backward Class candidates. The party has announced the list keeping all communities in focus.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Take a look at the top leaders who will contest againNarendra ModiPrime Minister Narendra Modi will contest from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh for his third time. He has already won twice from the same constituency. Rajnath SinghRajnath Singh will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow.Amit ShahAmit Shah, the Union Home Minister, who guided the party to a resounding win in the 2014 general elections, will run from Gandhinagar, Gujarat.Smriti IraniIn 2019, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in the Congress bastion of Amethi, and she was given the important constituency in Uttar Pradesh once more.Jyotiraditya ScindiaJyotiraditya Scindia, the MP for the Rajya Sabha, is set to run from Guna in Madhya Pradesh. The former Congress leader had held this seat since 2002 till losing it to Krishna Pal Singh Yadav of the BJP in 2019.Shivraj Singh ChauhanDespite the BJPs surprising victory last year, Shivraj Singh Chouhan was not appointed chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. It appears that he may soon take on a national role.It is important to note that these are just few names, the list is long. Meanwhile, the election commission will soon announce the dates for the upcoming elections that are likely to be held in April- May.
