It's official: Varun Gandhi will not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections. His camp released a statement on Wednesday stating that Varun will focus on campaigning for his mother, Maneka Gandhi, in Sultanpur. The Bharatiya Janata Party has refrained from providing Varun Gandhi with a ticket from Pilibhit this election season, favoring Jitin Prasada instead. Meanwhile, Maneka Gandhi has secured her candidacy once more from the Sultanpur constituency. Notably, Varun Gandhi had procured a nomination form, sparking rumors that he might defy BJP and run as an independent candidate from Pilibhit. However, his team's announcement has put an end to such speculations.
Previously, UP BJP President Bhupendra Singh had commented on the decision to cut Varun Gandhi's ticket, emphasizing that perhaps the party has a grander plan for him despite him not being a candidate this time, affirming he remains with us. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury extended an invite to Varun to join Congress, to which Singh retorted, 'Varun Gandhi is a dedicated soldier of the BJP. We are confident that he will stay within the party. Having origins in the Gandhi family, it's the BJP that has made him a Member of Parliament three times.' Chowdhury had accused the BJP of sidelining Varun due to his Gandhi lineage.
Varun Receives an Invitation to Join Congress
Adhir Ranjan stated, 'We would be glad if Varun Gandhi joins Congress. He is a prominent and highly skilled leader. The BJP may have denied him a ticket due to his family connections. We want him to join us now.' Over the past few years, Varun Gandhi has not shied away from criticizing his own government at the center under the leadership of Modi or the state government under Yogi. It's assumed that his deviance from the party line weakened his position, and as a result, he wasn't entrusted with significant responsibilities by the BJP.
Varun Gandhi, a Three-Time MP with BJP
For your knowledge, Varun Gandhi joined the BJP in 2004. The party first fielded him from Pilibhit in the Lok Sabha elections of 2009, which he won. In 2013, he was appointed as the BJP National General Secretary and also charged with responsibilities in West Bengal. In 2014, BJP nominated him from Sultanpur, the seat previously held by his mother, Maneka Gandhi, who then contested from Pilibhit. Both claimed victory in their respective seats. For the 2019 elections, BJP swapped their constituencies once again, with Maneka contesting from Sultanpur and Varun returning to Pilibhit, whence they both won their seats again.
During an interview last year, Rahul Gandhi was asked if he would welcome his cousin Varun back to Congress, to which the former party president said their ideologies do not align.
