Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to millions of dedicated party workers for their unwavering faith as he confirmed his candidacy from Varanasi once more in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections of 2024. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its initial list of 195 contenders for the parliamentary polls, leading with Prime Minister Narendra Modi contesting from Varanasi. Modi conveyed his appreciation to the BJP leadership and the selfless dedication of party workers, stating, “I thank the BJP4India leadership and bow to the crores of selfless Party Karyakartas for their constant faith in me. I look forward to serving my sisters and brothers of Kashi for the third time,” in a post on X.
Our Party has announced candidates for some of the seats and will be announcing the rest in the coming days. I congratulate all those who have been nominated as our Party’s candidates and wish them the very best.
We are going to the people on the basis of our track record of…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 2, 2024
Reflecting on his tenure since 2014, Modi reaffirmed his commitment to fulfill the aspirations of the people and empower the marginalized. He highlighted the progress made in various sectors during the past decade, vowing to continue the momentum for a better Varanasi. Modi also expressed profound gratitude to the people of Kashi for their enduring support, which he values immensely. He said, “In 2014, I went to Kashi with a commitment to fulfill people’s dreams and empower the poorest of the poor. Over the last ten years, we have made significant progress across various sectors and worked towards a better Kashi. These efforts will continue with even greater vigor. I would also like to convey a special gratitude to the people of Kashi for their blessings, which I cherish greatly.”
Addressing the broader electoral landscape, Modi emphasized the BJP’s track record of governance and its focus on inclusive progress. He extended congratulations to all the party’s candidates, expressing confidence in their ability to uphold the party’s values and serve the nation diligently. Modi asserted, “Our Party has announced candidates for some of the seats and will be announcing the rest in the coming days. I congratulate all those who have been nominated as our Party’s candidates and wish them the very best. We are going to the people based on our track record of good governance and ensuring the fruits of progress reach the poorest of the poor. I am sure that the 140 crore people of India will bless us yet again and give us even more strength in fulfilling their aspirations and creating a Viksit Bharat.”
Key figures within the BJP, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, are set to contest from Gandhinagar and Lucknow respectively. The list of candidates encompasses nearly 155 seats won by the party in the 2019 elections. Notably, the party has replaced over 20 percent of its incumbent MPs.
Also read: Bharatiya Janata Party Unveils Initial Candidate List for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections
Among the candidates, seven ministers from the Rajya Sabha are slated to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Additionally, notable figures such as Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Bhupender Yadav are among those named for various constituencies across the country.
Announcing the candidates, BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde highlighted the diverse representation within the list, including women, individuals below 50 years of age, and members from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
The first list of candidates covers constituencies from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Kerala, Telangana, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, as well as union territories like Goa, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Daman and Diu.
Prominent leaders such as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan are also included in the list, set to contest from their respective constituencies. Birla will seek reelection from Kota in Rajasthan, while Chouhan returns to his former parliamentary seat of Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh.
