According to Varun Gandhi's team, he will not be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections; instead, he will focus on campaign efforts in Sultanpur for his mother, Maneka Gandhi. The UP BJP President, Bhupendra Singh, stated that the party did not give Varun a chance to contest this time, but assured that the leadership must have something better planned for him. Following BJP's announcement of Jitin Prasada as the candidate from Pilibhit, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan offered Varun a chance to join the Congress and mocked the BJP for denying him the ticket due to his Gandhi family name. Political spectators, however, anticipated Varun's BJP ticket fallout due to his continuous targeting of PM Modi and the Yogi government in UP. The real question is why didn't the conversations of his joining Congress over the last few months materialize? Let's delve into Congress's constraints.
Ideological Differences: Varun's Affinity to Hindutva, just like Sanjay Gandhi
Both the Congress and BJP use ideology as a reason to exclude or include members. In an interview last year, Rahul Gandhi was asked whether Varun would be welcomed back to Congress, to which he replied that their ideologies did not align. Varun has been elected to Parliament three times under the BJP and has become staunchly Hindu nationalist to the extent that he was once accused of inciting animosity against minorities. His father, Sanjay Gandhi, was also considered dedicated to the Hindutva cause.
It is said that during Sanjay Gandhi's attempt to clear a Muslim settlement near the Red Fort known colloquially as 'Mini Pakistan' in Delhi, a favored officer Jagmohan Malhotra was tasked with the job. Jagmohan reportedly once stated his desire to remove everything around Jama Masjid to prevent a second Pakistan, though he later denied such a meeting's occurrence. Jagmohan later became a minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government and embarked on a similar mission to remove illegal settlements around the Red Fort.
The Need to Eliminate All Rivals to Rahul within Congress
Congress strategizes to ensure no one overshadows Rahul Gandhi. Even Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is kept in check. This is why capable leaders like Shashi Tharoor are overlooked for positions like Congress President in favor of leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge. Despite many in the Congress being more qualified than Rahul Gandhi, they are not given enough opportunity to become party leaders. Varun Gandhi's talents are well-recognized – he's the only Gandhi after Jawaharlal Nehru to clear the entrance exams for the British school Harrow. Coincidentally, he shares this achievement with his cousin Rahul, which is why bringing someone of his caliber into Congress would mean disrupting the pre-set pecking order.
The Guerrilla War Within: Personal Struggles and Family Legacy
In politics, as in families, blood ties often prevail. Despite personal strife, family members tend to gravitate towards their lineage. Maneka Gandhi, who suffered much humiliation, likely harbors resentment towards the Gandhi lineage, contrastingly, Varun and his cousins Rahul and Priyanka share a strong bond reminiscent of childhood connections governed by their mothers' influences.
There were rumors that Varun desired the Amethi or Rae Bareli seat from Congress, constituencies that have been a stronghold for the Gandhi family. Congress has not yet announced its candidates for these two seats, and Sonia Gandhi has declined to contest from Rae Bareli, arousing speculation about Varun's potential candidacy. A faction within the Congress workers suggested that Varun contest as an independent from Amethi if Rahul and Priyanka chose not to run.
The Political Chess Game: Maneuvers to Outplay Opponents
The BJP's decision to field Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur may have shut the doors for Varun's entry into Congress without conditions and prevented him from running independently. With Maneka securing a BJP ticket, there is little incentive for Varun to defect to the Congress.
It is significant to note that the legacy of Amethi began with Sanjay Gandhi, followed by iterations of Gandhi family members holding the seat. While Sanjay faced defeat in Amethi in 1977, he was victorious in 1980 but passed away the same year, leading to Rajiv Gandhi winning the following by-election.
Party Dynamics and Historical Baggage
Maneka Gandhi's political career began in opposition to Rahul Gandhi's father, Rajiv Gandhi, and the bitterness between the two families has only grown, posing a barrier to Varun's entry into Congress. After Sanjay Gandhi's death in a plane crash in 1980, Maneka's standing in the family changed drastically. She eventually started the Rashtriya Sanjay Vichar Manch and even ran against Rajiv Gandhi as an independent in Amethi in 1984 but lost, as the post-assassination sympathy wave favored Congress. It wasn't until 1988 that Maneka Gandhi joined the Janata Dal and won the Pilibhit constituency.
Strategic Placement: BJP's Calculated Risk in Sultanpur
The BJP strategically offered a ticket to Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur, negating any possibilities of Varun contesting. This not only secured her loyalty but also compelled Varun to support the party's campaign in the absence of his own ticket.
