Lok Sabha elections 2024: Controversial MPs absent from BJP's initial candidate list

Lok Sabha elections 2024: In a significant move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, replacing 33 sitting MPs with new faces. However, the absence of several controversial figures from the list has drawn attention.

Notable names missing from the BJP's first list include Parvesh Verma, Jayant Sinha, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, and Ramesh Bidhuri. This omission suggests a strategic message from the BJP high command regarding the inclusion of controversial leaders in the election fray. Parvesh Verma, son of former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma, Hazaribagh MP Jayant Sinha, Bhopal MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, and South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri, known for alleged communal remarks in Parliament, were all absent from the party's candidate lineup.

In Delhi, where the BJP named five candidates for Lok Sabha seats, four replacements were announced for sitting MPs. Praveen Khandelwal was nominated for the Chandani Chowk Lok Sabha seat, replacing two-term MP and former Union minister Harsh Vardhan. Kamaljeet Sehrawat replaced two-term MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma for the West Delhi seat.

Moreover, Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, emerged as the candidate for the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, currently held by Meenakshi Lekhi. From South Delhi, the BJP named Ramvir Singh Bidhuri as its candidate, dropping Ramesh Bidhuri.

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Key omissions in BJP's Lok Sabha election candidate list: 4 notable absences

1. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur: In a surprising move, the BJP has replaced incumbent MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur with Alok Sharma for the Bhopal seat in Madhya Pradesh. Thakur gained prominence during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when she secured victory over Congress stalwart Digvijaya Singh by an impressive margin of 3,64,822 votes.

However, her tenure has been marked by controversies, notably when she compared Hemant Karkare, an Ashok Chakra awardee and former Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief, to mythological figures Ravan and Kans. These remarks, made prior to the 2019 polls, sparked outrage and led to a show-cause notice from the Election Commission of India (ECI). Consequently, the BJP distanced itself from her.

Later, Thakur sparked another controversy when she praised Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, as a patriot. Despite issuing an apology, her remarks continued to draw condemnation, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who labeled them as "extremely condemnable."

2. Ramesh Bidhuri: BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri ignited a significant controversy with his derogatory remarks aimed at MP Danish Ali during a discussion on the Chandrayaan-3 mission's success. Videos of Bidhuri's contentious comments targeting Danish Ali quickly spread across social media platforms, eliciting widespread criticism.

BJP president JP Nadda reportedly issued a show cause notice to Bidhuri, their party MP, regarding his use of objectionable language against Danish Ali within the Parliament. The contentious remarks were expunged from the Parliamentary records, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh promptly expressed regret for Bidhuri's conduct during the session.

3. Parvesh Verma: The BJP has nominated Kamaljeet Sehrawat to contest from the West Delhi constituency in Delhi, replacing its sitting MP Parvesh Verma. Kamaljeet Sehrawat, the former mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, is recognized as one of the party's influential figures in the Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Last year, reports emerged indicating that the BJP leadership strongly condemned remarks made by Parvesh Verma, urging for an "economic boycott" of a specific community. Verma made these statements during a gathering titled 'Virat Hindu Sabha,' organized by the local unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organizations in East Delhi on October 9. In his speech, Verma advocated for a "complete boycott" of "these people," although he did not explicitly mention any particular community.

4. Jayant Sinha: BJP’s Hazaribag MLA Manish Jaiswal replaces the sitting party MP Jayant Sinha in the Hazaribag Lok Sabha seat. Jaiswal secured victory in the Hazaribag assembly constituency in 2019 by defeating Congress’ Dr. Ramchandra Prasad. Earlier in the day, Sinha, the son of former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, stated that he had requested party president JP Nadda to relieve him from direct electoral duties.

In 2019, Jayant Sinha admitted that he and some other BJP leaders provided financial assistance to cover the legal fees of individuals accused of lynching a meat trader in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh in 2017. His acknowledgment came a year after he sparked controversy by felicitating and posing with the six accused after they were released on bail and taken directly to the minister’s residence in Hazaribagh.

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(Inputs from agencies)