Lok Sabha 2024: BSP releases candidate list, fields Nand Kishore Pundir from Ghaziabad

The Bahujan Samaj Party has released the names of 12 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Mayawati-led party fielded Nand Kishore Pundir from Ghaziabad and Sarwar Malik from Lucknow. The BSP has so far declared its candidates for 37 out of 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh. 

BSP candidate Suresh Singh will be facing off against sitting BJP MP and actor Hema Malini in Mathura. Meanwhile, Sarvar Malik has been pitted against sitting BJP MP Rajnath Singh and Ravidas Mehrotra of Samajwadi Party. The BSP politician had unsuccessfully contested 2022 assembly elections from Lucknow North seat. His wife Shaheen Bano had unsuccessfully contested the mayoral election in Lucknow in 2023.

The BSP is also fielding Indu Chaudhary (an academician associated with the BHU) and journalist Ashok Kumar Pandey. The latter will be facing off against sitting BJP MP Sakshi Mahraj in Unnao.

Here are the details from the third list:

Ghaziabad — Nand Kishore Pundir

Lucknow — Sarvar Malik

Mathura — Suresh Singh (replacing Kamal Kant Upmanyu)

Aligarh — Hitendra Kumar alias Bunty Upadhyay

Mainpuri — Gulshan Dev Shakya 

Kheri — Anshay Kalra Rockeyji

Unnao — Ashok Kumar Pandey

Mohanlalganj (SC) — Rajesh Kumar alias Manoj Pradhan

Kannauj — Imran Bin Jafar

Kaushambi (SC) — Shubh Narain

Lalganj (SC) — Indu Chaudhary

Mirzapur — Manish Tripathi

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Election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha will take place on June 4. 

The BJP has repeatedly voiced confidence that it will secure all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya recently slammed opposition parties, saying that there is no vacancy for Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati or any opposition leader till 2047 in the country's politics.

(With inputs from agencies)