The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on April 10 fielded two time party MP S.S. Ahluwalia from Asansol Lok Sabha seat.
Mr. Ahluwalia had represented the adjoining seat of Bardhaman-Durgapur from 2019 to 2024. From 2014 to 2019, he was the BJP MP from Darjeeling.
The decision to nominate Mr. Ahluwalia comes after the BJP had earlier announced that Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh to contest from the seat. Mr. Singh declined to contest amidst furore over his songs allegedly denigrating Bengali women.
By announcing the name of Mr. Ahluwalia, the BJP has picked up a safe choice and a politician with significant political experience to contest from Asansol which has a significant non Bengali speaking electorate.
He will be contesting against Trinamool Congress’s Shatrughan Sinha. Mr. Sinha had won the byelection at Asansol in 2022 by a margin of over three lakh votes over his BJP rival.
Asansol had elected Babul Supriyo as the BJP MP from Asansol in 2014 and 2019, but he later defected to the Trinamool Congress.
With the announcement of Asansol’s candidate, the BJP has declared nominees on 41 out of 42 seats. The party is yet to announce candidate at Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat from where Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is contesting from.
Elections to 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will be held across seven phases beginning April 19.
