According to information obtained by India Today TV from sources within the party, it is highly probable that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will nominate former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as its candidate from Vidisha in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Additionally, it is anticipated that other prominent leaders from Madhya Pradesh, including Jyotiraditya Scindia and VD Sharma, may be fielded from Guna and Khajuraho constituencies, respectively.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who held the position of Chief Minister in Madhya Pradesh for an uninterrupted tenure of 15 years until 2023, faced an unexpected turn of events during the 2023 Assembly election. Despite overcoming anti-incumbency sentiments, the BJP opted not to extend his tenure for a fourth consecutive term, instead selecting Mohan Yadav for the role.
Late on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a meeting of the BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC) aimed at finalizing the initial roster of candidates for the impending Lok Sabha elections.
Sources indicate that the BJP has settled on approximately 100 potential candidates for Lok Sabha seats, with expectations high for the imminent release of the first candidate list in the coming days.
This preliminary list is anticipated to include not only prominent figures like PM Modi contesting from Varanasi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, but also candidates aimed at reclaiming constituencies where the party narrowly lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
