BJP's first list for LS seats in MP features ex-CM Shivraj, Union minister Scindia; Pragya Thakur axed

“I thank my party’s central leadership for choosing me to serve Vidisha again. At least three of his loyalists, including former Bhopal mayor Alok Sharma, state party’s Kisan Morcha head Darshan Singh Chaudhary and second-time sitting MP Rodmal Nagar have been named candidates from central MP’s Bhopal, Hoshangabad and Rajgarh seats respectively. Also, while Vidhan Sabha Speaker and former union minister Narendra Singh Tomar hasn’t been considered for the Gwalior seat, his loyalist and ex-MP minister Bharat Singh Kushwah has been named candidate from Gwalior seat. The 13 sitting MPs who have been fielded again from their seats, include union minister and third-time sitting MP Virendra Kumar has been repeated from Tikamgarh-SC seat, state BJP chief VD Sharma from Khajuraho, Himadri Singh from Shahdol-ST, fourth-time MP Ganesh Singh from Satna, union minister and sixth-time MP Faggan Singh Kulaste from Mandla-ST, second-time MP Sudhir Gupta from Mandsaur, first-time MP Gyaneshwar Patil from Khandwa-Burhanpur, first-time MP Gajendra Patel from Khargone-ST. Also, second-time MP Janardan Mishra has been named candidate again from Rewa seat, first-time MPs DD Uike and Mahendra Singh Solanki from Betul-ST and Dewas-SC seats respectively and second-time MP Rodmal Nagar from Rajgarh seat. Eleven new faces, including MP minister Nagar Singh Chouhan’s wife Anita Nagar Singh Chouhan, Ashish Dube, Lata Wankhede, Rahul Lodhi, Dr Rajesh Mishra, Bharat Singh Kushwah, Shivmangal Singh Tomar and Alok Sharma, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Darshan Singh Chaudhary have found the party’s favour.