"I will not contest the 2024 elections," says Union Minister VK Singh

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 24 (ANI): Union Minister VK Singh announced on Sunday that he would not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a tweet from his official account on X, VK Singh stated, "I have made a difficult but thoughtful decision. I will not contest the 2024 elections. This decision was not easy for me, but I have taken it from the depths of my heart. I want to channel my energy and time into new directions where I can serve my country in different ways."
The former Army General further explained his rationale, emphasising his desire to redirect his energy and time towards new avenues of serving the nation.
"I have dedicated my entire life to serving this nation as a soldier. For the past 10 years, I have tirelessly worked towards fulfilling the dream of making Ghaziabad a world-class city. Along this journey, I am grateful for the trust and love I have received from the citizens of the country and Ghaziabad, as well as members of the BJP. This emotional bond is invaluable to me," the tweet read.
The tweet further added, "I sincerely thank all of you for being my companions on this journey. Your love, support, and belief have always inspired me. Going forward, I will continue to serve the nation and all its citizens, just in a new capacity."
The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will commence in seven phases starting April 19. Various parties have declared their initial lists for the elections, which will conclude on June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP won 303 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to secure only 52 seats. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP won 282 seats, while the INC secured only 44 seats.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) held a meeting of its Central Election Committee on Saturday to decide the names of the candidates from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The list, which was likely to be announced on Sunday, will include candidates from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. The decision was made during a three-hour Central Election Committee meeting attended by key BJP leaders on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brijesh Pathak, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, among others.
As per party sources, in Uttar Pradesh, 10 names were discussed and finalized. Out of the total 24 seats left to announce, 10 were discussed and are expected to be announced in the fourth list.(ANI)