The BJP has declared Raju Singh Bisht as its candidate from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, replacing sitting MP and Union Minister S S Ahluwalia.
The development comes at a time when there is a question mark on the party's electoral prospect in Darjeeling, as the TMC has been able to gain support of the Binay Tamang-faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and other local parties.
However, the BJP leadership has claimed to have the support of the GJM and the Gorkha Liberation Front.
The BJP managed to win the Darjeeling seat in the last Lok Sabha election with support from the Bimal Gurung-led GJM.
This time, the political scenario has changed in Darjeeling with Gurung being sidelined in GJM. He has an underground following the Gorkhaland agitation in Darjeeling in 2017.
Meanwhile, the Congress released its second list of candidates for West Bengal. The latest list consists of names of candidates from 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
The Congress, in its first list, had announced the names of candidates from 11 seats, including Raiganj and Murshidabad won CPM last time.
The Congress has fielded the sitting MLA Nepal Mahato from the Purulia Lok Sabha seat. The party is yet to take a call on candidates from the six remaining seats in Bengal.
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