BJP MP Varun Gandhi is reportedly considering contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate if he is not given a ticket by the saffron party to fight again from the Pilibhit seat in Uttar Pradesh.
Varun Gandhi secured the Pilibhit seat for a third term in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sources revealed that his representatives returned from Delhi with four sets of nomination papers for the Pilibhit seat in Uttar Pradesh and went back to the national capital.
The BJP is yet to hold a Central Election Commission (CEC) meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decide on a candidate for Pilibhit.
In other candidate announcements for the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has so far fielded former BSP MP Ritesh Pandey from Ambedkar Nagar, while several prominent leaders, including Hema Malini, Ravi Kishan, Ajay Mishra Teni, Mahesh Sharma, SPS Baghel, and Sakshi Maharaj, are being repeated from their respective seats.
It's confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest from his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, and Union Minister Smriti Irani from Amethi.
However, during a core committee meeting, all state-level BJP leaders opposed giving a ticket to Varun Gandhi.
Previously, Varun Gandhi made headlines with comments seemingly critical of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, advising against "disrupting a nearby sadhu" and questioning the suspension of a hospital's license in Amethi. He emphasized that resentment against a particular individual should not hinder progress for the people.
