UP minister Jitin Prasada replaces Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit contest

Uttar Pradesh minister Jitin Prasada, who switched to the BJP from the Congress two years ago, was today named as the BJP candidate from the Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency, replacing Varun Gandhi.

For more than two decades, Pilibhit has been represented by Varun Gandhi’s mother Maneka Gandhi or himself.

The BJP, however, renominated former Union minister Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur constituency while announcing the fifth list of 111 names for the polls.

Prasada, who twice served as a minister in Manmohan Singh’s Congress government and was considered one of Rahul Gandhi’s top aides, lost three elections – 2014 and 2019 national elections and the 2017 UP parliamentary polls.

Varun Gandhi won decisively from Pilibhit in his first election in 2009 with 4.19 lakh votes. His subsequent victories in 2014 and 2019 further cemented the family’s political dominance.

Mr Gandhi, 44, is a writer and poet who has spent the past few years attacking his own party and government policies.

In another development, the BJP fielded Atul Garg from Ghaziabad and ousted sitting MP and Union Minister VK Singh. Shortly before the list was announced, Mr. Singh posted on X that he would not contest the polls.

This is the second list of UP candidates released by the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections. The party is yet to announce its candidate for the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat.

In Budaun, the party announced the name of Durvijay Singh Shakya, ignoring sitting MP Sanghamitra Maurya.

In Bareilly, the party replaced sitting MP Santosh Gangwar and gave the election to Chattrapal Singh Gangwar.

The party has announced Raghav Lakhanpal as its nominee for Saharanpur and Sarvesh Singh for Moradabad Man, Satish Gautam is the nominee for Aligarh seat.