Lok Sabha Polls 2024: BJP candidate Pawan Singh has decided not to contest the election from Asansol constituency.
Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Top Bhojpuri singer and BJP leader Pawan Singh has decided to opt out of his candidacy for the Asansol Lok Sabha elections. The decision comes after the BJP announced him as the candidate for the ‘celebrity’ seat yesterday. Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh had earlier been fielded from Asansol in West Bengal, currently represented by TMC leader and actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha.
Notably, the list for UP is full of sitting MPs, with party leaders hinting that the next list may see some new names. The BJP won 62 seats last time and is expected to contest nearly 75 of its 80 seats in the coming polls, leaving some to its allies.
Hema Malini And Ravi Kishan Given Another Chance
In UP, the party has fielded former BSP MP Ritesh Pandey from Ambedkar Nagar, while Hema Malini, Ravi Kishan, Ajay Mishra Teni, Mahesh Sharma, SPS Baghel and Sakshi Maharaj are among those being repeated from their seats.
In Jharkhand, former Congress MP Geeta Kora has been fielded from Singhbhum (ST reserved). PM Modi has set a target for the BJP to win at least 370 seats on its own in this Lok Sabha election and more than 400 for the NDA.
BJP Looks South
The BJP is looking to bolster its presence in southern states like Kerala, where it currently holds none of its 20 seats, and Telangana, where it had won four of its 17 seats in 2019. It has fielded actor Suresh Gopi from Thrissur in Kerala and is banking on some former BRS leaders to boost its tally in Telangana.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule later this month and the elections are likely to be held in April and May. The BJP had won 303 seats in the 2019 polls but currently it has 290 members in the Lok Sabha. The number is decreasing for various reasons, including some MPs recently resigning after winning assembly polls.
The BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) had met for more than five hours Thursday night and deliberated on names for their first list. The next CEC meeting is expected to be held next week to discuss further names.
(With inputs from agencies)
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