BJP drops MM Joshi, Maneka-Varun swap their seats

New Delhi: Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi was Tuesday dropped as a BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, while Union minister Maneka Gandhi and her MP son Varun Gandhi swapped their seats as the party announced its 29 more nominees from Uttar Pradesh.

BJP general secretary Arun Singh announced that Union minister Manoj Sinha has been fielded from Ghazipur, a seat he had won in 2014, and UP government ministers Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Satyadev Pachauri from prestigious Allahabad and Kanpur seats respectively. Joshi, 85, had won from Kanpur in 2014 but was told by the party leadership that he would not be fielded in the coming elections.

The party has not given the ticket to veterans like L K Advani, B C Khanduri and Kalraj Mishra among others. Actor politician Jaya Prada was fielded from Rampur hours after she joined the party Tuesday. UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey has been repeated from Chandauli, Singh said. Maneka Gandhi will contest from Sultanpur and Varun Gandhi from Pilibhit. The BJP also announced its 10 candidates from West Bengal.