By denying him the Lok Sabha ticket from Pilibhit, the Bharatiya Janata Party has virtually compelled three-time MP, Firoz Varun Gandhi to explore other options. There are indications that Indira Gandhi’s youngest grandson may sit out of these elections and introspect regarding his future moves.
Ideally speaking, the Congress should have taken advantage of the emerging situation and given him the ticket to contest from either Amethi, his late father’s seat or Rae Bareli represented by both his grandparents at one time. However, there is reluctance in the grand old party to admit him since here is an inherent battle for the family legacy that exists between the Gandhis.
Interestingly, the BJP has given the Lok Sabha ticket in Sultanpur to Varun’s mother, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, who if she wins, would be an MP for the record 10th time. There has been speculation that Varun may work for his mother in her constituency, but it is unlikely that she needs his assistance in getting elected, given that she has a whole team that works for her success in each Parliamentary election.
The decision to deny Varun the party nomination was taken at the highest level and after his meeting with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president J.P. Nadda. There had been a serious apprehension earlier that because Varun had been making statements regarding certain policy issues which were critical of the present dispensation, he had rubbed the central leadership the wrong way.
Thus, it was anticipated that he could be in the danger zone and may not be re-nominated for the seat. However, it is obvious that the Pilibhit seat, won by Maneka Gandhi in the past, even as an Independent, had become the pocket borough of this stream of the Gandhis. Even if Varun had contested from there as a non-aligned player, he would have been a formidable candidate.
The BJP by omitting his name, has attempted to send a clear message down the line that anyone who fails to fall in line with the party and the government’s policies could face a similar fate. Therefore, no one should take their continuation as the party nominee for granted, and the 44-year old son of Sanjay Gandhi, was not going to be an exception.
What transpired between Varun Gandhi and the Prime Minister at the official residence of Narendra Modi, shortly before Holi, is not known. However, it is clear that the meeting was certainly not smooth, and if the BJP’s central leadership thought that the young MP would apologise for his views, it did not happen. On the contrary, it was conveyed to him that he was not in the consideration.
The BJP’s decision has its own ramifications and Varun Gandhi may accordingly take time to chalk out his new plans. The denial of the ticket has in a sense helped him to distance himself from the Sangh Parivar, something which he may have been aiming at, given that his own thinking was not consistent with that of the BJP ideology.
Secondly, having freed himself from the saffron brigade, Varun is now free to choose whether he wishes to align himself with some other political party which has secular credentials or take a sabbatical to watch the events unfold.
Varun’s electoral potential was recognized both by the Congress and the BJP at a very early stage. In 2009, even before Varun filed his nomination, he was sought to be disenfranchised for certain remarks that were attributed to him at a public meeting and widely circulated on TV channels. His version was that the video clips were edited and the full context of his speech which appeared to be anti-Muslim was not properly shown.
In the light of the videos, the Election Commission had issued him a notice and there was every probability that action against him could be unprecedented. However, the EC realized that even if he had said what he was accused of saying, he could at best be charged under the Indian Penal Code. The EC’ s role would have come in only if he had said what was attributed to him as a candidate who had filed his nomination or if he was an office bearer of a political party. The matter was subsequently dropped and he contested the polls and emerged victorious.
Varun has often been seen by observers of the Nehru-Gandhi clan as the only family member who after Jawaharlal Nehru has been pursuing intellectual pursuits besides being in politics. He is a regular contributor to newspapers and has authored a few books. This has helped him to be included amongst a small group of MPs who are also regarded for their intellectual capacity and formulate their own theories and concepts.
There is also speculation that Varun’s close friend, Akhilesh Yadav, has offered to support him from any seat which he chooses in Uttar Pradesh. In addition, there have been feelers from some other leaders as well. Within the Congress, a section wishes him to be back.
During his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had commented that Varun could not be a part of the Congress since he had chosen a different ideology. Now that he is a free man without the ideological baggage, the Congress high command can consider his case.
As of now, Varun Gandhi is not in the reckoning for the 2024 elections, but in politics, nothing can be said with certainty and things can change very fast and rapidly. Between us.