PM Modi has brought social and economic changes: LS Speaker Om Birla

"People's faith in PM Modi will write a new chapter in this democracy. PM Modi has brought social and economic changes. Through his policies and schemes, the lives of poor people, and infrastructure have witnessed immense transformation," Birla told reporters here.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birl will again contest from the Kota constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Birla, four Union ministers and a paralympian are among the 15 candidates from Rajasthan named in the first list of candidates released by the BJP on Saturday.

Rajasthan has 25 parliamentary constituencies.

The BJP gave tickets to Mahendrajit Malviya and Jyoti Mirdha, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP. The party also gave tickets once again to former chief minister Vasundhara Raje's son and sitting MP Dushyant Singh from the Jhalawar Baran.

The Bharatiya Janata Party released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.

According to the first list, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi again.

Of the 195 candidates, 34 are ministers from the Centre and States.

While announcing the first list, BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde said, "PM Modi to contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi, Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiran Rijiju to contest from Arunachal West, BJP MP Bishnu Pada Ray to contest from Andaman & Nicobar, BJP MP Tapir Gao to contest from Arunachal East, and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to contest from Dibrugarh."

Home Minister Amit Shah will contest from Gandhinagar, while Mansukh Mandaviya will contest from Porbandar.

"The names of 195 candidates have been finalised. The list includes 47 youth candidates, 28 women candidates, 27 Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, 18 Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates, and 57 OBC/Backward Class candidates. The party has announced the list, keeping all communities in focus," Tawde said, addressing the media here. (ANI)