PM Modi to contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh,

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) released the first list of  70 candidates for Lok Sabha elections here in the national capital on March 2.

The list comes days before the dates of Lok Sabha polls – to be held in April-May – are announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI).  The BJP has kept 370+ seats target for the party in the upcoming polls and 400+ for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday announced the first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The candidates announcement comes days after the BJP held its central election committee meeting to finalise the candidates. The first list of candidates is expected to feature some high-profile names seeking another term, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as seats perceived as “tough”. The BJP is announcing first list of candidates earlier to ensuring enough time for nominees to campaign for their election while sending out the message of the BJP being a disciplined party. During the CEC meeting, the BJP top brass discussed 50 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.