India elections: Kangana, ex-Calcutta HC judge get BJP ticket

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut and former Calcutta High Court justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who resigned from the judiciary and joined politics, were today named Bharatiya Janata Party candidates for coming Lok Sabha elections.

Ranaut has been fielded from Mandi constituency in her home state Himachal Pradesh and justice Gangopadhyay will be in fray in Tamluk seat in West Bengal. Their names are in the list of 111 more candidates released by BJP last night, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Reacting to her nomination, an elated Ranaut, who will be making her debut in electoral politics, said she was elated to officially join BJP.

"My beloved Bharat and Bhartiya Janta's own party, Bharatiya Janta Party ( BJP) has always had my unconditional support, today the national leadership of BJP has announced me as their Loksabha candidate from my birth place Himachal Pradesh, Mandi (constituency) I abide by the high command's decision on contesting Loksabha polls. I feel honoured and elated to officially join the party. I look forward to be a worthy karyakarta and a reliable public servant," the actress posted on X.

My beloved Bharat and Bhartiya Janta's own party, Bharatiya Janta party ( BJP) has always had my unconditional support, today the national leadership of BJP has announced me as their Loksabha candidate from my birth place Himachal Pradesh, Mandi (constituency) I abide by the high…

— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 24, 2024

Arun Govil, who played the role Ram in the hugely popular TV serial Ramayana, has been put up as a BJP candidate from Meerut in UP.

BJP dropped sitting MP Varun Gandhi, son of late Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi, from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit constituency and replaced him by Jitin Prasada who quit Congress and joined the saffron party.

However, Varun's mother Maneka Gandhi has been re-nominated from Sultanpur constituency in UP.

Leading industrialist Naveen Jindal, who quit the Congress today and joined BJP, was quickly rewarded with nomination from Kurukshetra constituency in Haryana.Former Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (Retd) VK Singh, who announced his exit from electoral politics hours before the BJP list of 111 candidates was published today, did not feature on the list.