Varun Gandhi, the incumbent MP from Pilibhit, has been replaced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with Jitin Prasada, who defected from the Congress in 2021 and currently serves as a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government. However, Varun's mother, Maneka Gandhi, has been renominated from Sultanpur, a seat she won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The denial of the ticket to Varun has sparked speculation about his potential departure from the BJP. Meanwhile, a senior Congress leader has made a significant statement regarding this development.
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Speculation Mounts Over Varun's Political Future
In the wake of Varun's ticket cancellation, speculation about his future political path has intensified, with discussions swirling about potential alignments with the Congress or other alternatives. Reports have fuelled speculations about Varun possibly joining the Samajwadi Party (SP), particularly following the emergence of a surprising video featuring SP's declared candidate for the Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat, Bhagwat Saran Gangwar.
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SP Leader Refutes Allegations of Praising Varun
In the video, Gangwar is heard expressing admiration for BJP leader Varun, depicting him as a heavyweight leader. Gangwar even indicated his readiness to withdraw from contesting elections in Pilibhit if SP's leadership desires Varun to run from that constituency. Following the circulation of the video, Gangwar denied making the attributed statements, asserting that he had not made any such remarks.
Embracing Spiritual Calling Over Political Pursuits
Gangwar, hailing from Ahmedabad village in Nawabganj, is a seasoned politician with prior ministerial experience. Following the announcement of his candidacy, Gangwar conveyed during media interactions that his inclination leans more towards spirituality rather than politics. He mentioned receiving guidance from his guru to aid those in need, emphasising his lack of personal animosity towards anyone.
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Electoral History: Varun's Successive Wins in Pilibhit
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Maneka vacated the seat for Varun, who won it by a margin of more than two lakhs votes. Maneka returned to contest from Pilibhit in 2014, securing victory by about three lakh votes. In 2019, Varun once again contested from the seat as the BJP nominee, defeating SP candidate Hemraj Verma by nearly 2.5 lakh votes.
Senior Congress leader and West Bengal unit president, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, made a public appeal on March 26, urging the sitting Pilibhit MP to join the Grand Old Party and relocate to West Bengal.
BJP's Rejection Sparks Political Debate
Media reports indicate a strong possibility that Varun might contemplate joining the Congress, with the Congress potentially nominating him as a candidate from either the Amethi or Rae Bareli seat. This speculation arises from the fact that the party has not yet announced its candidates for these two seats. Despite Varun not responding to being denied a ticket from the BJP, it is evident that he had been preparing for the elections for quite some time.
Additionally, there is a chance that Varun may opt to run as an independent candidate from the Pilibhit seat itself.
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Saffron Party's Nomination Strategy
Political analysts observe that elections in Pilibhit are slated for the first phase (April 19), while voting in Sultanpur is set for the fourth phase (May 13). If Varun choose to contest the elections independently or on behalf of another party, it's unlikely that the BJP would disregard the matter. Such a decision could potentially jeopardise the electoral prospects of Maneka. In light of this, the saffron party's move to nominate both mother and son in the same list may be seen as a strategic plan, inadvertently leading to complications for Varun.
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Varun's Contrarian Stance: Diverging from Party Policies
More significantly, Varun has been noted for consistently taking positions contrary to those of his party and government on multiple occasions. From his stance on new agricultural laws to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Varun has been observed opposing the policies of both the central and state governments. Despite his appointment as national general secretary in charge of organisation in West Bengal in 2016, he showed minimal interest in fulfilling his responsibilities in the state. Furthermore, after his election as MP from Pilibhit in 2019, he distanced himself from BJP events, a decision that may have had adverse consequences for him within the party.
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