After son denied ticket, here's what Menaka Gandhi said about being in BJP

After the BJP denied a ticket to Varun Gandhi, his mother and BJP leader, Maneka Gandhi, expressed happiness to be a part of the party

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi was denied a ticket from his constituency Pilibhit, his mother and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi on Monday expressed her contentment with being a part of the saffron party. She reiterated her commitment to nurturing Sultanpur like a "mother," putting to rest speculations about her son Varun Gandhi joining her campaign.

"Varun and his wife are both battling high viral fever and then my sister-in-law had only recently suffered a stroke. So, you can say that these days there is disease in the family and even if he wanted, he wouldn't have been able to come. But even otherwise, he wouldn't have come," said Maneka soon after she arrived in Sultanpur.

 

"I had made a list of some 60 tasks for Sultanpur of which I have been able to finish around 24-25. I am referring to big tasks here. So that is my agenda, to make Sultanpur beautiful, keep the people happy and to take care of the constituency like a mother. What else can I do?" she said.

Unlike Varun Gandhi, a three-time MP who was dropped from Pilibhit this time, Maneka has been renamed as the party candidate from Sultanpur, where she won by a margin of just 14,000 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. After his campaign was over, Varun briefly campaigned for his mother in Sultanpur. When reminded of this, Maneka retorted, "Can't I take care of my campaign myself?"

When asked about Varun's future plans, Maneka responded, "You should direct your queries to Varun for his response."

'Happy being in BJP'

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda for renominating her as the candidate from Sultanpur, Maneka said, "I am happy being in the BJP."

"I am happy at being renominated as the party candidate from Sultanpur as this constituency has a history of none of its past MPs returning," she added.

Commenting on the delay in her candidature, she said, "I think the delay was because there was some confusion in the party about whether to field me from Sultanpur or from my previous constituency [Pilibhit]."

In response to questions about the Congress offering Varun the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, she replied, "I will not comment on any of this, and you, too, must drop this subject now."

Varun Gandhi's letter to Pilibhit

Earlier, Varun Gandhi penned a heartfelt letter to the people of his constituency, saying that his relationship with Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit will not end till his last breath.

"Today as I am writing this letter, countless memories have made me emotional. I remember that 3 year old little boy who came to Pilibhit for the first time in 1983 holding his mother's finger, how did he know that one day this land would become his workplace and the people here would become his family," Gandhi wrote.

"I consider myself fortunate that I got the opportunity to serve the great people of Pilibhit for years," he added.

He further acknowledged the invaluable lessons in ideals, simplicity, and kindness that he had imbibed from the constituents, which shaped not only his role as a Member of Parliament but also his personal growth.

"Even though my tenure as an MP is coming to an end," Gandhi wrote, "my relationship with Pilibhit cannot end till my last breath."