The BJP on Saturday fielded actor Paresh Rawal as party candidate from Ahmedabad East lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, instead of sitting MP Harin Pathak. The Central Election Committee announced five names for Gujarat, including Pratapsinh Chauhan, sitting MP from Panchmahal.
Rawal is yet another Bollywood actor fielded by the party, including Hema Malini from Mathura, UP, and Shatrughan Sinha from Patna Saheb, Bihar. Pathak is a seven-time MP who got party ticket in 2009. Besides these, BJP fielded Debusingh Sinh Chauhan, MlA from Kheda, Rajesh Chudasama, MlA from Junagadh and Deep Singh Rathore, ex-MlA from Sabarkantha.
The party also announced three candidates for by-elections to Gujarat Assembly. Meanwhile, the BJP has decided to field Alok Sanjar, the State office in-charge of the party from Madhya Pradesh, from Bhopal after veteran l K Advani decided to contest from Gandhinagar lok Sabha.
The Bhopal seat was vacated after senior party leader from the State Kailash Joshi quit in favour of Advani. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti, who has been nominated by the party to contest from Jhansi lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, is also reported to have staked her claim for the seat.
In the list released by the party, former Minister laxmi Narayan Yadav was fielded from the Sagar lok Sabha seat and another former Minister Nagendra Singh from the Khajuraho constituency. District president from Mandsour, Sudhir Gupta has been given the party ticket from the Mandsour lok Sabha seat.