The BJP held a late night Central Election Committee meeting on Thursday that went on till the wee hours of Friday where 350 Lok Sabha seats were discussed across 18 states and UTs. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaving the meeting at 3:30am, sources say many surprises may be in store when it comes to ticket distribution for Lok Sabha elections 2024.
The Surprises
Sources say there is likely to be a major disruption in Delhi where as many as five of the seven sitting MPs may be dropped this time. Bhojpuri film star Manoj Tiwari who has a massive sway among the large section of Purvanchali voters in Delhi could be among the few to retain the party ticket.
Sources suggest former army chief and Union Minister VK Singh will likely be dropped from the Ghaziabad seat where a senior organisation insider may make the cut. There has been buzz that a Bollywood A-lister may make their electoral debut with a BJP ticket.
Another Bhojpuri star also seems to have made the cut, but is likely to be fielded not from Bihar but from a Hindi-speaking belt of West Bengal. Sources say the star is likely to be fielded from Asansol where the sitting MP is TMC’s Shatrughan Sinha.
Jammu Kashmir unit president Ravindra Raina, who was MLA from Nowshera, is likely to be fielded in the Lok Sabha election this time.
In Uttar Pradesh, a big chunk of sitting MPs, including Union Ministers, will be dropped, suggest BJP sources, adding that fresh faces will be given a chance instead.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was dropped from the top post despite winning the state election in December, is all set to be fielded in the Lok Sabha elections, say sources.
A controversial MP from Madhya Pradesh, who is known for statements that put the party in discomfiture, is likely to be dropped this time.
Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani is likely to be fielded as well from Porbandar seat.
Who Might be Repeated
Among the leaders who are part of the BJP’s core machinery and likely to be repeated at the polls is Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who is all set to fight from Lucknow. Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who toppled the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh and joined the BJP, is all set to fight from Guna-Shivpuri. Former Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, who was brought to the Centre to make way for Himanta Biswa Sarma in the state, is likely to fight from Dibrugarh in Assam.
Both Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy and his predecessor Bandi Sanjay Kumar will fight Lok Sabha elections from the state.
The BJP also has managed a caste balance while choosing the names, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. BJP sources say Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to fight once again from his current Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. In the first list, both PM Modi and Amit Shah’s names will feature, say sources.
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