BJP’s 8th list out
New Delhi: With the unveiling of its 8th list of candidates for the upcoming general elections on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party announced the names of 11 candidates spanning three states: Odisha, Punjab, and West Bengal.
Notably, the BJP revealed its inaugural list for Punjab, comprising six candidates. Hans Raj Hans has secured a ticket from Faridkot, while Parneet Kaur, wife of Captain Amarinder Singh and a seasoned MP from Patiala, has been nominated by the BJP for the Patiala Lok Sabha constituency.
Furthermore, Dinesh Singh Babu has been fielded from Gurdaspur in place of Sunny Deol, Tarunjeet Singh Sandhu will contest from Amritsar, Sushil Kumar Rinku from Jalandhar, and Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana.
Recently, on March 26, Ravneet Singh Bittu, a three-time MP from Congress, resigned from the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Late Beant Singh, initially contested elections from Anandpur in 2009 and emerged victorious. Subsequently, he moved to Ludhiana in 2014 and was consecutively elected twice as MP.
Similarly, Parneet Kaur also parted ways with the Congress and recently aligned with the BJP. Despite facing suspension from Congress, Kaur remains a formidable candidate from Patiala, having served as an MP from the constituency four times.
BJP’s Punjab unit has shifted into high gear. Experts feel that previously constrained by its junior status in the state coalition with one of the oldest regional parties Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the party’s growth was hampered as it avoided conflicting with its senior partner. However, their separation has liberated the BJP from these constraints.
Led by figures like Amarinder Singh and Sunil Jakhar, the BJP is now aggressively pursuing its objectives without reservation.
Moreover, The BJP’s ambitious target for its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to surpass the 400-seat threshold compelled it to engage with its former ally. Similarly, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) recognized the advantages of aligning with the BJP, particularly as its traditional support base among rural Sikh voters has been eroded by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Seat distribution emerged as a primary sticking point in the negotiations. The BJP sought to contest five out of the 13 seats, a proposition met with reluctance by the Akali Dal. Pointing to the BJP’s stagnant vote share in the 2022 Assembly elections, despite contesting independently on 73 seats compared to the 24 it previously contested in alliance with the SAD, the Akali Dal hesitated to allocate more than four seats to the BJP.
Additionally, the Akali Dal intensified its stance on its demand for the release of “Bandi Singhs” – individuals convicted as terrorists during the Khalistan movement era who are currently serving sentences in various jails. However, the BJP remained steadfast in rejecting this demand. SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal emphasized the prioritization of principles over political arithmetic, criticizing national parties for prioritizing electoral gains over values.
Furthermore, the resurgence of the farmer protest, notably in its 2.0 iteration, exacerbated anti-BJP sentiments among the rural Sikh populace – a core demographic for the SAD. The BJP government in Haryana’s handling of the protests, including preventing farmers from entering Delhi via Haryana, contributed to this sentiment.
Employing its trademark long-term strategies and vigorous campaigning, the BJP is carefully selecting top-notch candidates from all 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab.
Regardless of past limitations, the party is forging ahead, much to the dismay of its political rivals, who find themselves outmanoeuvred by the BJP’s assertiveness.
On the other hand, the BJP has announced its candidates for the three remaining Lok Sabha seats in Odisha.
Bhartruhari Mahtab has been nominated to contest from the Cuttack Parliamentary constituency. Additionally, Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi will represent the party in the Kandhamal, while Rabindra Narayan Behera has been chosen as the candidate for the Jajpur parliamentary seat.
Recently, Bhartruhari Mahtab, a six-time MP from Cuttack representing the BJD, resigned from the party and joined the BJP. Now, the BJP has placed its trust in Mahtab, who will face BJD’s Santrupt Mishra in the significant Lok Sabha seat of Cuttack. The electoral battle in Cuttack is anticipated to be intriguing as Mahtab is poised to leverage his extensive political experience and strong public rapport.
BJP also declared two more names from West Bengal -- Dr Pranat Tudu from Jhargram (ST) and ex-IPS Debashish Dhar from Birbhum.
