Punjab Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP Announces Gejja Ram Valmiki as Its Candidate for Fatehgarh Sahib LS Seat

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced Gejja Ram Valmiki as its candidate for the Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha seat, a reserved Schedule Caste constituency. Valmiki, the Chairman of the Punjab Raj Safai Karmachari Commission and National President of Central Valmiki Sabha India, completes BJP's candidate lineup for all 13 seats in Punjab.

This announcement coincides with a surge in nomination filings in the state. The nomination process in Punjab, which began on May 7, has seen 61 candidates enter the electoral fray for the June 1 Lok Sabha polls. Nominations will be scrutinized on May 15, with a withdrawal deadline of May 17.

On Thursday, Hans Raj Hans, BJP's nominee for the Faridkot seat, and Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira for Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat submitted their nominations. Jasvir Singh Garhi, President of Punjab Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), also entered the race from Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency.  Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat backed Hans Raj Hans during his nomination in Faridkot district. Hans will face AAP's Karamjit Anmol, Congress' Amarjit Kaur Sahoke, and Shiromani Akali Dal's Rajwinder Singh in Faridkot. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, BJP's candidate for Amritsar Lok Sabha seat and former diplomat, filed his nomination papers on Friday, supported by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other BJP leaders in Amritsar.