New Delhi: The NDA on Saturday dropped film star and Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha and decided to field Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad amid speculations of the former's candidature on Congress ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In Bihar, the NDA, which comprises the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP, has announced its candidates for 39 out of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state on Saturday.
In a press meet held in Patna, BJP national general secretary and party in-charge for the state Bhupendra Yadav announced the candidature of Ravi Shankar Prasad from party stronghold Patna Sahib seat.
According to media reports, Sinha is likely to join the Congress and seek re-election on a ticket of the grand old party.
"It is almost final that actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha will be fielded from his Patna Sahib seat on our ticket. His resignation from the BJP and induction into the Congress will take place in a few days," a senior Congress leader from Bihar told PTI two days ago.
While Union minister Giriraj Singh, whose Nawada seat has gone to the LJP, has been shifted to Begusarai, his colleagues in the council of ministers Radha Mohan Singh, R K Singh, Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Ram Kripal Yadav will be fielded from their respective sitting seats of Motihari, Ara, Buxar and Pataliputra.
Lok Janshakti Party state president Pashupati Kumar Paras will be replacing his elder brother Ram Vilas Paswan in Hajipur. The Union minister is likely to get a Rajya Sabha ticket. Chirag Paswan will be seeking re-election from Jamui.
Yadav also said the candidate for Khagaria Lok Sabha seat, which would be contested by the LJP, would be announced shortly.
Patra from Puri
Ending speculations over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's candidature from Puri, the BJP has fielded its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from the Lok Sabha seat.
Senior leaders of the saffron party in Odisha, including MLA Pradip Purohit, had earlier hinted that Modi might contest the election from the temple town.
The ruling BJD and the opposition Congress are yet to announce the names of candidates from the constituency.
Releasing a fresh list of candidates Friday for five parliamentary seats and 22 Assembly segments in Odisha, the BJP announced that its state unit president Basant Kumar Panda would contest the polls from Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituency and national secretary Suresh Pujari from Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency.
Sitting MLA Nitesh Ganga Deb has been fielded from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, while Jayaram Pangi is the BJP candidate for Koraput (ST) parliamentary seat.
While Panda happens to represent Nuapada assembly segment, Ganga Dev is the legislator from Deogarh constituency in the outgoing Assembly.
The saffron party is yet to announce its candidate for Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency, where the ruling BJD has fielded its Rajya Sabha MP Achyut Samanta, and the Congress nominated Manoj Kumar Acharya.
Among the candidates for the 22 Assembly seats is Shisir Gamang, son of former chief minister Giridhar Gamang.
He would contest the state polls from Gunpur assembly constituency.
Two sitting MLAs - Debraj Mohanty and Purna Chandra Nayak - who had resigned from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on March 20 following denial of tickets - has been nominated from Aska assembly segment in Ganjam district and Daspalla in Nayagarh district respectively.
The new BJP list also includes a woman candidate, Pinky Pradhan, who happens to be an actress. She will be contesting the election from Digapahandi Assembly seat.
Earlier, the party had announced names of candidates for 10 Lok Sabha constituencies and 99 Assembly seats in Odisha.
The state, which has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats, is scheduled to go to simultaneous voting in four phases - on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.
