184 contes­tants announ­ced by BJP for seven phase nation­al electi­onsNEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again chosen to contest the country’s upcoming elections from the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced on Thursday. The Hindu nationalist leader successfully won his first national election in 2014 from northern Uttar Pradesh state’s historic city, situated on the banks of the Ganges — one of the most sacred rivers in the Hindu religion. The names of 184 contestants were announced by the BJP for the seven phase national elections that will run from April 11 until May 19, with results scheduled to be declared on May 23. Candidates in India can choose to contest elections from up to two constituencies, but can go on to only represent one in parliament. In 2014, Modi also won the Vadodara seat in his home state of Gujarat but gave up his candidature in the western city to represent Varanasi.

Source: The Express Tribune March 21, 2019 18:45 UTC