The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) CEC (Central Election Committee) Meeting regarding the Lok Sabha elections at the party headquarters in Delhi took place on 29th February and lasted till the early hours of 1st March. The party’s CEC held discussions on the seats of Lok Sabha across about 17 states and set seals on more than 155 seats, the list of which will be released in a day or two. Amid rumours of the BJP denying tickets to over 100 MPs from the current Lok Sabha, BJP MPs have started declaring their exit from electoral politics. Prime names appearing in the news are Gautam Gambhir and Jayant Sinha.
As the CEC of the party concluded its meeting, rumours about whose tickets will be cancelled in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections picked pace in media and social media. It was speculated that BJP MPs like Sunny Deol, Gautam Gambhir etc. may be denied a ticket in the general elections of 2024. However, before any such development could take place and an official list of the candidates be announced, BJP MPs started taking it to their social media handles to declare that they were quitting electoral politics. This is seen as an indication of the party’s message to the elected representatives that they may not get a ticket in the elections this time. It is also being speculated that the MPs thought it would be better if they withdrew before the list declaration to save their face.
Cricketer Gautam Gambhir who is a BJP MP from Delhi wrote from his X handle, “I have requested Hon’ble Party President JP Nadda Ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi Ji and Hon’ble HM Amit Shah Ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!”
BJP MP Jayant Sinha has cited his “efforts in combating global climate change in Bharat and around the world” as the reason for quitting electoral politics. He posted from his X handle, “I have requested Hon’ble Party President Shri JP Nadda Ji to relieve me of my direct electoral duties so that I can focus my efforts on combating global climate change in Bharat and around the world. Of course, I will continue to work with the party on economic and governance issues.”
He further wrote, “I have had the privilege of serving the people of Bharat and Hazaribagh for the past ten years. Moreover, I have been blessed by the many opportunities provided by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji, and the BJP leadership. My sincerest gratitude to all of them. Jai Hind!” It remains to be seen what new faces the BJP brings in its first list of candidates.