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Popular actors, industrialist join BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections

The BJP has fielded Naveen Jindal, Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil for the Lok Sabha elections

Kangana Ranaut, Arun Govil and Naveen Jindal. / X @MPNaveenJindal, @arungovil12, @KanganaTeam

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put out its latest list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The list includes prominent celebrities namely Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil and renowned industrialist Naveen Jindal.

Govil, best known for his portrayal of Lord Rama in the iconic TV serial Ramayan, will be contesting from the Meerut Lok Sabha seat. Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut will be entering the political arena by contesting from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, her hometown.

37-year-old Ranaut, known for her vocal support of the BJP, expressed gratitude to the party for nominating her as their Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi. She will be contesting against Congress leader Pratibha Singh, who currently represents the constituency.

"My beloved Bharat and Bhartiya Janta's own party, Bharatiya Janta party (BJP) has always had my unconditional support, today the national leadership of BJP has announced me as their Lok Sabha candidate from my birth place Himachal Pradesh, Mandi (constituency) I abide by the high command's decision on contesting Lok Sabha polls," she posted on X. 
 



Govil, who recently joined the BJP along with Anuradha Paudwal, is set to replace BJP MP Rajendra Agrawal in the Meerut contest. Agrawal has been elected as a Member of Parliament from the Meerut-Hapur constituency three times since 2009. 

The BJP has also chosen to nominate Naveen Jindal, the head of steel and power giant JSPL, from Kurukshetra, shortly after he switched over to the saffron party from Congress. 
In the 2014 elections, Jindal finished third when BJP's Raj Kumar Saini won the seat. He was not fielded by the Congress in the 2019 polls. He was twice elected to the Lok Sabha from Kurukshetra.

Jindal, the youngest son of OP Jindal, serves as the chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and leads the lobby group Indian Steel Association. He is an accused in the coal scam, which was a key election issue for the BJP in 2014.

He played a pivotal role in easing restrictions on flying the Tricolour. His father, OP Jindal, served as a power minister in the Haryana government, while his mother, Savitri Jindal, also held ministerial positions in the state until 2014.

Jindal's decision to join the BJP came as a setback to the Congress, especially given his perceived closeness to Rahul Gandhi, the former party president. "I represented Congress Party in Parliament as MP from Kurukshetra for 10 years. I thank the Congress leadership and the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Today I am resigning from the primary membership of the Congress Party," Jindal said on social media before making the switch.

Jindal expressed his desire to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India. He officially joined the BJP in the presence of its general secretary Vinod Tawde, who emphasized that Jindal's inclusion in the party would further the government's efforts to enhance the nation's economy and prosperity.
 

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