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.
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.
In his first reaction after the denial of ticket, Varun Gandhi wrote a letter thanking the people of Pilibhit and vowed to continue serving them.
“I consider myself fortunate that I got the opportunity to serve the great people of Pilibhit for years. The ideals, simplicity, and kindness I received from Pilibhit have a huge contribution in my upbringing and development, not only as an MP but also as a person. Being your representative has been the greatest honour of my life, and I have always championed your interests to the best of my ability,” he wrote in the open letter.
Speculating on the options before the Gandhi family’s youngest leader, political analyst K.P. Malik said the 44-year-old, three-time MP has a tall stature of his own in national politics and it would not befit him to contest as an Independent from any insignificant seat. “The Congress may consider fielding Varun Gandhi from Amethi,” he said, pointing to feelers being sent to Varun by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, asking him to join the party of his grandmother Indira Gandhi.
Experts said Varun Gandhi’s next move could be more important from the point of view of optics than outcome. “The options before Varun Gandhi are many. If he chooses to rebel, he has the potential to fight the election from Varanasi, Amethi or represent the New Delhi constituency as an AAP candidate,” said Malik.
“Since his wife comes from Bengal and has good relations with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Varun can fight on a Trinamool ticket from anywhere in Bengal,” said Malik.
In its fifth list, the BJP last week replaced Varun Gandhi with Jitin Prasada from the Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency. Prasada is a former UP minister, who left the Congress to join the BJP. Varun Gandhi’s mother Maneka Gandhi is currently MP from Sultanpur and has been re-nominated by the BJP.
Varun Gandhi has had an eventful political innings. In BJP circles it is believed that when L.K. Advani was calling the shots in the party, Varun Gandhi used to get special treatment and compliments for his fiery speeches.
Observers say some of Varun Gandhi’s statements in the past have not gone down well with top party leadership. He was highly critical of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident of 2021 in which the son of BJP MP Ajay Mishra Teni from there had allegedly run his car over a group of agitating farmers. The BJP has re-fielded Teni this time from the Lakhimpur Kheri constituency.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also said to be upset with Varun Gandhi for his statement in September last year when the state government suspended the licence of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Amethi.
Ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections, Varun Gandhi’s posters had come up in Prayagraj in which his photo was visible along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Some sections in the BJP viewed the posters as a public declaration of his chief ministerial ambition.
Even during Covid, Varun Gandhi was critical of the state government’s decision to impose night curfew during the second wave of the pandemic.
The three-time MP’s failure to make it to the Union Council of Ministers or getting a national office assignment are some signs of the BJP leadership’s cautious stance over his career progression in the party.
As an MP, Varun Gandhi has represented the Pilibhit constituency twice, in 2009 and 2019. In 2014, the young MP, who is also known for his poems and writing skills, had won from Sultanpur. Famous for his oratorical skills, the MP’s connection with voters of Pilibhit, which used to be his mother’s traditional seat, is believed to be good. He is also seen capable of influencing voters in neighbouring constituencies like Aonla, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Kheri.