Varun’s criticism of govt cost BJP ticket, agrees Maneka
SULTANPUR: BJP leader Maneka Gandhi on Saturday indicated that her son Varun Gandhi’s writings that were sometimes critical of the government may have cost him the party’s Lok Sabha ticket from Pilibhit but asserted that he would do very well even without it.
The BJP’s Sultanpur candidate in an exclusive interview also said Varun Gandhi wants to come and campaign for her but a decision on that hasn’t been taken yet.
On Varun Gandhi being denied a ticket and if she felt bad as a mother, Maneka Gandhi said, “Well I can’t say I was delighted but I am sure Varun will do very well even without a ticket.”
Asked about calls from Pilibhit that he should have been fielded from there this time also, she said, “Yes, he should have been there but the party has taken a decision and that’s it.”
On whether in future Varun Gandhi may switch to Sultanpur like earlier or Pilibhit was his ‘karmabhoomi’ now, Maneka Gandhi said that, “at the moment, of course, Pilibhit, and India is his karmabhoomi, let him work all over.”
Asked if his writings on certain subjects that were critical of the government cost him the ticket, she said, “I can’t think of one other reason.”
On whether Varun Gandhi will campaign for her in Sultanpur, she said he is happy to come and has been asking to come “but we haven’t decided on it as yet.” “I don’t want to put everybody through this,” she added.
The eight-time MP also asserted that in her elections she only talks about local issues. “It is just about work that has been done and work that will be done because that interests people much more than national issues,” Maneka said.
On how she is placed this time as compared to the last time when she won by over 14,000 votes, Maneka Gandhi said, “I have settled in and the election seems to be going well and hopefully we will do much better.”