Sadhvi Pragya, Ramesh Bidhuri, Parvesh Sahib, Meenakshi Lekhi among 33 candidates dropped by BJP in first list

News Network

March 3, 2024

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced the replacement of 33 incumbent MPs with fresh candidates in its first list of 195 nominees for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

As per this candidate list, five candidates for Delhi include Praveen Khandelwal from Chandani Chowk, dropping two-term MP and former Union Minister Harsh Vardhan. Late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s daughter Bansuri Swaraj has been named as the saffron party’s candidate from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, replacing Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi.

Some of these leaders have made headlines for their controversial, provocative and anti-Islamic remarks inside and outside Parliament, and the BJP's move to drop them sends a message that the party is taking no chances ahead of an election in which it faces a joint Opposition.

The BJP named Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from South Delhi, dropping Ramesh Bidhuri. From the West Delhi seat, the BJP replaced two-term MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma with Kamaljeet Sehrawat.

In Madhya Pradesh, seven sitting MPs have been replaced. The saffron party named Bharat Singh Kushwaha from Gwalior, replacing MP Vivek Narayan Shejwalker.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has been named from Guna, dropping Krishnapal Singh Yadav. Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Vidisha, currently held by MP Ramakant Bhargava. In Bhopal, Alok Sharma will be the candidate instead of Sadhvi Pragya Singh.

BJP nominee Lata Wankhede has been named from the Sagar Lok Sabha seat, replacing Rajbahadur Singh. Virendra Singh Khatik will contest from Tikamgarh seat. Party nominee Anita Nagar Singh will contest from Ratlam seat, currently held by BJP MP Guman Singh Damor.

Besides this, the list also includes 11 seats from Assam, with five new faces and six current MPs. Parimal Suklabaidhya will contest from Silchar, previously held by Rajdeep Roy. Amar Singh Tisso, Bijuli Kalita Medhi, and Ranjit Dutta are contesting from Autonomous District (ST), Gauhati, and Tezpur respectively.

Union Minister Sarbanand Sonowal is the candidate from Dibrugarh, dropping sitting MP Rameswar Teli. Four new candidates are named for 11 seats in Chhattisgarh. Senior leader Brijmohan Agrawal from Raipur and Roop Kumari Choudhary from Mahasamund are among them.

In Gujarat, five incumbents have been replaced for 15 seats. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will contest from Porbandar, currently held by party MP Rameshbhai Lavjibhai Dhaduk. In Rajkot, the BJP named Union Minister Parshottam Rupala as the candidate, dropping sitting MP Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya.

Party nominee Rekhaben Hiteshbhai Choudhary will contest from the Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat, currently held by Prabhatbhai Savabhai Patel. Dineshbhai Kidarbhai Makwana replaced three-term MP Kirit Solanki on Ahmedabad West seat. BJP nominee Rajpalsinh Mahendrasinh Jadhav will contest from the Panchmahal seat, dropping sitting MP Ratansinh Magansinh Rathod.

Moreover, Manish Jaiswal and Samir Oraon are the new faces in Jharkhand. While Jaiswal replaced former Union Minister Jayant Sinha in Hazaribagh, Oraon replaced three-time MP Sudarshan Bhagat in Lohardaga seat.

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Puttur's Healthcare Dream Cleared: State Finance Gives Nod for 300-Bed Hospital

News Network

December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

• A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

• The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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