5 Union Ministers In BJP's 2nd List, Piyush Goyal Set For Electoral Debut
NDTV
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur is one of two names released for Himachal Pradesh. He will contest from Hamirpur, a constituency he has won since 2008 and was also held by his father.
Releasing its second list of 72 names for the Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday, the BJP has fielded five Union ministers from various states, including Piyush Goyal, who is set to make his electoral debut. His colleagues on the list are Nitin Gadkari, Anurag Thakur, Pralhad Joshi and Rao Inderjit Singh.
Mr Goyal, who has been a three-time Rajya Sabha member, has been fielded from the Mumbai North seat, which has been held since 2014 by Gopal Shetty of the BJP. The minister, who holds the commerce and industry, textiles, and food and consumer affairs portfolios, joins health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and junior IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, among others, who will be making their Lok Sabha debut.
The decision is in line with the BJP's strategy of making as many ministers as possible contest the Lok Sabha polls and win, instead of making their way into the Cabinet through the Rajya Sabha.
