While the names of the remaining candidates of the BJP in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha polls are said to have already been finalised though still not announced, speculations are rife that Jitendra Tiwari is contesting from Asansol, Agnimitra Paul is contesting from Midnapore and Dilip Ghosh from Durgapur-Burdwan seat. Sources said that former Asansol Municipal Corporation (AMC) mayor Jitendra Tiwari will contest from Asansol Lok Sabha seat against Shatrughan Sinha of the Trinamul Congress.
Jitendra Tiwari is a bhoomiputra of Asansol and is also a non-Bengali speaking leader who can give a tough fight to the Bihari babu, the BJP top brass feels. Earlier, BJP fielded Pawan Singh, Bhojpuri singer cum actor, for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat. He initially refused to contest, but a week later changed his mind. He is most likely dropped from the list. Jitendra Tiwari is close to leader of opposition in state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and has joined the saffron brigade through him before the 2021 Assembly polls.
He fought on a BJP ticket in Pandaveswar in the 2021 Assembly polls and lost. Agnimitra Paul, the Asansol South MLA will contest from Midnapore against June Maliya of the TMC. Earlier Dilip Ghosh has contested from Midnapore Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
Dilip Ghosh is going to contest from the DurgapurBurdwan Lok Sabha seat against cricket star Kirti Azad of the Trinamul Congress. Surendra Singh Ahluwalia, the two times BJP MP – Darjeeling ( 2014) and DurgapurBurdwan (2019) is likely to be dropped, according to party sources.
Jitendra Tiwari has already posted on his X handle few days ago that there will be a surprise in the Asansol Lok Sabha seat for the BJP and a local candidate will be preferred, leading to huge speculations. The names of Jitendra Tiwari and Priyanka Tibrewal have been doing the rounds in the last few weeks.