NEW DELHI: Despite opposition from Sushma Swaraj, BJP has fielded BSR Congress chief B Sreeramulu from the Bellary (ST) seat in Karnataka.
Releasing the list on behalf of the party, BJP general secretary Thawarchand Gehlot said noted Bollywood music director Bappi Lahiri, who recently joined the BJP, has been fielded by the party from Srerampur Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal and journalist Ashwani Kumar Chopra “Minna” from Karnal Lok Sabha seat in Haryana.
Sreeramalu had joined the BJP after quitting BSR Congress, of which he was the chief. The party is being supported by the Bellary brothers embroiled in the mining scam.
Denying the party ticket to its senior leader Jaswant Singh, the party fielded recent entrant Col Sonaram Choudhary in Barmer Lok Sabha constituency, on which Singh was seeking a ticket.
The party fielded Manoj Rajoriya from Karauli-Dholpur (SC) seat, Sanwarmal Jat from Ajmer, who will contest against Sachin Pilot of Congress and P P Choudhary from Pali Lok Sabha seat.
It also fielded Joyram Engleng will contest the Autonomous District (ST) seat from Assam and district General Secretary Bhagwant Khuba from Bidar Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka besides former MP C H Vijay Shankar from Hassan.
Bodh Singh Bhagat is the party candidate from Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh, while BJP national executive member La Ganeshan will contest the Chennai South constituency in Tamil Nadu and another national executive member S Gurumoorthy will contest the Nilgiris (SC) seat.
C P Radhakrishnan, another national executive member will contest from Coimbatore and H Raja, also a national executive member, will contest from Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat against Karti Chidambaram, who has replaced his father and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
BJP has also fielded Tamil Nadu state president Pon Radhakrishnan from Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency and Kuppuramu from the Ramanathapuram LS seat.
Swarup Prashad Ghosh will contest the Jadavpur LS seat in West Bengal.
The party also announced the names of its 6 candidates for the West Bengal assembly bye-elections.–PTI
