The upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024 are just a few months away, and political parties are gradually announcing the names of their candidates. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list for the elections on Saturday, March 2, revealing the names of candidates for 195 seats across different states. There was speculation about whether any candidates from the sports world would be included, and while many cricketers were being discussed, only veteran para-athlete Devendra Jhajharia was selected as a candidate. The Paralympics gold medalist will be contesting from the Churu seat in Rajasthan.
Under the leadership of JP Nadda, the BJP is aiming to secure a third consecutive term in government and has now unveiled its initial list of candidates. The decision was made following discussions within the party's Central Election Committee late on Thursday-Friday night, with the names of 195 candidates officially announced on Saturday. Notably, several prominent and incumbent MPs, including Rahul Kaswan from Churu, Rajasthan, have not been given tickets for the upcoming elections.
Among the 15 seats in Rajasthan, 42-year-old Devendra Jhajharia has been chosen as the candidate for Churu. This marks Jhajharia's first foray into electoral politics, despite his impressive career as one of India's leading para-athletes. He has achieved numerous medals for the country, with his standout performance being at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games where he set a world record in javelin with a throw of 62.15 meters, securing a gold medal. Jhajharia's success made him only the second Indian to achieve gold at the Paralympics.
Not only did Jhajharia secure another gold medal in the Paralympics, but he also made history by achieving the same feat in the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Additionally, he earned a silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
As India's flag-bearer at the 2016 Paralympics, Jhajharia was honored with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2005. That same year, the Rajasthan government recognized his achievements by presenting him with the Maharana Pratap Puraskar Award.
Furthermore, Jhajharia became the first Paralympian to receive the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honor in India, from President Pratibha Patil in 2012. In 2014, he was named the para-sportsperson of the year by FICCI.
Leading up to the announcement of candidates, speculation primarily focused on former all-rounder and star cricketer Yuvraj Singh. There were widespread claims that Yuvraj might run for office in Gurdaspur, Punjab. However, Yuvraj dispelled these rumors by personally denying them on X (formerly known as Twitter), stating that he had no intention of entering the political arena.
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