New Delhi: The names of a total of 34 Union ministers figure on the first list of candidates released by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest the biggest poll battle of the year – Lok Sabha Elections 2024, on Saturday. Additionally, the names of two former ministers as well as Lok Sabha speaker also figure in BJP's first list of 195 candidates for Lok Sabha polls. 

Union ministers whose names have been announced by the BJP in the first list of candidates include Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Bhupender Yadav, Mansukh Mandaviya, Sarbananda Sonowal, Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Arjun Ram Meghwal, G Kishan Reddy, Arjun Munda and Smriti Irani.

BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde said while making the announcement that the party is confident that it would form the government for the third-term under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an even bigger mandate. He also said the party has been working on expanding its footprint across the states and also working on strengthening the ruling National Democratic Alliance.

BJP's First List of Candidates for Lok Sabha Election 2024: Highlights

• The list includes 28 women and 47 young leaders as candidates for Lok Sabha battle in 16 states and Union Territories. 
• The announced names include those for 51 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 20 in West Bengal, five in Delhi, and one each in Goa and Tripura.
• The party has fielded Home Minister Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar and Sarbananda Sonowal from Dibrugarh.  
• BJP repeats Kiren Rijiju, Tapir Gao from two Arunachal Pradesh seats for Lok Sabha polls.  
• The party has fielded Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi seat, Kamaljit Sehrawat from West Delhi, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from South Delhi.