Team News Riveting
New Delhi, March 24
In a major pre-election jolt to the Congress, former two-term party MP and Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power (JSP) Naveen Jindal resigned from the Congress party and joined the BJP in a late-evening development on Sunday.
JSP is a leading Indian Infrastructure Conglomerate with a presence in the Steel, Power, and Mining sectors.
After joining the BJP in the presence of national general secretary Vinod Tawde, Jindal said, “Today is a very important day in my life. I am proud to have had the good fortune of joining the BJP and getting an opportunity to contribute to national building under the leadership of PM Modi.” He will work on BJP policies to advance the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and will do his best to serve the country under PM’s leadership, he added.
Tawde said the joining of Jindal would strengthen the BJP. Jindal represented Kurukshetra constituency in Lok Sabha between 2004-14.
The ruling BJP on Sunday released the fifth list of 111 candidates for the upcoming General Election, fielding Naveen Jindal as its official candidate from Kurukshetra. While Maneka Gandhi will contest from Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur, the BJP has fielded actress Kangana Ranaut from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi.
Ranjit Chautala, the son of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal and Independent Rania MLA also joined the saffron party. Haryana Cabinet Minister and Independent MLA from Rania Assembly segment in Sirsa Ranjit Singh Chautala has been fielded from Hisar, while MLA Mohan Lal Badoli and sitting MP Dr Arvind Kumar Sharma from Sonepat and Rohtak, respectively.
In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP also fielded Dr Rajeev Bharadwaj from Kangra.
Actor Arun Govil, who played Ram in popular TV serial Ramayana, has been fielded from the Meerut Lok Sabha seat.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will contest from Sambalpur and the party’s spokesperson Sambit Patra will try his luck from Puri once again after losing out in a close contest in 2019.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Minister Jitin Prasada has replaced Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit. Sita Soren will fight from Dumka (Jharkhand).
Former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhya, who joined the BJP recently after taking voluntary retirement, will contest from Bengal’s Tamluk.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan will contest from Sambalpur and the party’s spokesperson Sambit Patra will try his luck from Puri once again after losing out in a close contest in 2019.
