OPTIONS OPEN, BUT VARUN LIKELY TO SIT OUT THE 2024 ELECTIONS

There is speculation that since his wife comes from Bengal and has good relations with Mamata Banerjee, Varun may fight on a TMC ticket from Bengal.

- RAHUL CHHABRA

Uncomfortable questions, ambitious positioning of oneself and challenges to own party’s governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh seem to have cost Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi his re-nomination in the coming elections, say sources, adding that the party could have a plan-B to use his experience in the coming years.

A few BJP insiders claim that Varun has been treated the way other outspoken leaders—Uma Bharti, Parvesh Verma and Ramesh Bidhuri—were denied tickets for their statements that caused embarrassment to the party. In Varun Gandhi’s case, his outspokenness during the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and critical remarks during Covid were some of the factors that appeared to have weighed against his re-nomination by the BJP.

Sources maintained that giving two tickets to two members of one family (mother and son) was also a point of debate within the party, which did not go in Varun Gandhi’s favour. In future, he is likely to nurture his mother Maneka Gandhi’s Sultanpur constituency, from where she is contesting the 2024 elections, or eventually represent it five years down the line, said a leader.

Sources close to the three-time MP said one of the reasons for denying him a ticket from Pilibhit may be an attempt to clip his wings. After the denial of ticket, his close aide said he was unlikely to contest the current Lok Sabha elections. The likelihood of Varun Gandhi joining another party was also ruled out.