BJP releases lists of 37 candidates for Lok Sabha polls, Sambit Patra to contest from Puri

The BJP released its second and third lists of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls post-midnight on Saturday announcing 37 party nominees. The second list contains only one candidate from Daman and Diu while the third list has 36 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra has been named a candidate for Puri Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha. This puts an end to speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could be fielded from this pilgrim city to boost the BJP’s prospects in the eastern coastal region.

The second and third lists were released following a marathon meeting of the BJP central election committee presided over by party president Amit Shah and attended PM Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh among others.

The list has 23 nominees for Andhra Pradesh, where polling will be held in the first phase on April 11.

The list contained names of six candidates for Maharashtra, five for Odisha and one each for Assam and Meghalaya.

The BJP also released its list of candidates for 22 assembly seats in Odisha, which will vote on April 11 along with the first of the seven-phased parliamentary polls.

Among the 22 assembly seats declared by the party, Shisir Gamang, son of former Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, has been fielded from Gunpur assembly constituency.

The five Lok Sabha poll candidates of the BJP in Odisha are state BJP president Basant Kumar Panda from Kalahandi, Suresh Pujari from Bargarh, Nitesh Ganga Deb from Sambalpur and Jayaram Pangi from Koraput parliamentary constituencies.

Earlier, the BJP had announced candidates for 10 Lok Sabha and 99 Assembly seats in Odisha. The state has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly seats.