By – Prakarsh Kastwar
The BJP’s eighth list of eleven candidates: Sushil Kumar Rinku, who left the AAP to join the BJP only a few days ago, has been fielded from Jalandhar.
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, a former Indian ambassador to the United States, will make his electoral debut as the BJP fields him from Amritsar in the Lok Sabha election 2024, only days after joining the party. On Saturday, the BJP announced its eighth list of candidates, presenting names from 11 constituencies in Odisha, Punjab, and West Bengal. Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s wife, Preneet Kaur, who is also a newcomer to the party, received the ticket from Patiala, the constituency she formerly represented with the Congress. Sunny Deol, a Bollywood star who was noted for his low attendance at Parliament after becoming an MP from Gurdaspur, has been dropped. Dinesh Singh Babbu has been chosen from the constituency instead.
In Odisha, the BJP fielded six-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab from Cuttack and would run alone in the election without the backing of the BJD. Mahtab has joined the BJP after leaving the BJD.
The grandson of the late Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, three-time Congress member Ravneet Singh Bittu, will run from Ludhiana, while Sushil Kumar Rinku, who just quit the AAP, has been nominated from Jalandhar. On a BJP ticket, Hans Raj Hans, who emerged victorious from North West Delhi in 2019, is set to compete from the Faridkot seat (SC).
Dr Pranat Tudu of Jhargram and former IPS Debashish Dhar of Birbhum have been named to the West Bengal cabinet. Dhar recently resigned from the police force for personal reasons. Dr. Pranat Tudu also resigned from the West Bengal Health Services lately. He was appointed as a medical officer at the Jhargram Government Medical College and Hospital.
Preneet Kaur, a four-time Patiala MP who was suspended by the Congress in the latter part of her term for anti-party activities, previously stated that she would not mind standing from Patiala if the BJP wished.