The BJP on Tuesday finally declared its North West Delhi candidate for the Lok Sabha elections. Hours before the deadline for filing of nomination, the the party named singer Hans Raj Hans BJP candidate for the seat, dropping sitting MP Udit Raj.
Hans Raj Hans will contest against Rajesh Lilothia of the Congress and Gugan Singh of Aam Aadmi Party.
He filed his nominations soon after his name was announced.
उत्तर पश्चिमी लोकसभा दिल्ली से @BJP4India प्रत्याशी श्री @hansrajhansHRH ने भगवान बाल्मीकि मन्दिर पंचकुइया रोड पर आशीर्वाद लेकर नोमिनशन फ़ाईल करने के लिये प्रस्थान किया। @narendramodi @AmitShah @BJP4Delhi pic.twitter.com/Wx6n6WCAww
— Chowkidar Vijender Gupta (@Gupta_vijender) April 23, 2019
On Sunday, the party had re-nominated four of its seven Delhi MPs and named candidates for two other seats.
Udit Raj, a former Indian Revenue Service officer, had formed the Indian Justice Party in 2003 after resigning from his post. In 2014, he merged his party with the BJP and contested the Lok Sabha election on BJP ticket and won.
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Earlier in the day, Udit Raj had said he would resign from the party if it did not field him. He had also said he would contest the elections as an independent candidate after resigning from the party.
“I still hopeful that I will file nomination from my constituency and BJP where I have worked hard and proved my metal (sic).
I hope I will not be forced to leave BJP by BJP itself,” he twitted in the morning.
I still hopeful that I will file nomination from my constituency and BJP where I have worked hard and proved my metal.
I hope I will not be forced to leave BJP by BJP itself
— Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) April 23, 2019
Delhi will go to polls on 12 May.