New Delhi : The BJP on Thursday released its first list of 17 candidates for the Punjab assembly elections on February 4.

The BJP has fielded its sitting MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu from Sujanpur, Seema Kumari from Bhoa (SC), Ashwani Sharma from Pathankot, K.D. Bhandari from Jalandhar North and Sukhjeet Kaur Sahi from Dasuya.

Announcing the names of the other candidates, union minister J.P. Nadda said, the Central Election Committee of the party has cleared the name of V.D. Dhupad from Dinanagar (SC), Rakesh Gill from Amritsar West (SC), Tarun Chugh from Amritsar Central, Rajesh Hani from Amritsar East and Arunesh Shakar from Mukerian.

Candidates have also been announced for Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana Central, Ludhiana West, Ludhiana North, Firozpur city, Abohar and Rajpura. -Agency