LS polls 2024: Varun Gandhi feels 'cheated' after being replaced with Jitin Prasada in Pilibhit
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Lok Sabha elections: Sitting BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit Varun Gandhi reportedly told his aides that he feels "cheated" after the saffron party replaced him with former Congress leader Jitin Prasada from the constituency for the upcoming general elections.
Varun Gandhi might not contest elections at all due to the snub by the BJP, India Today quoted sources aware of the matter. They added that the 44-year-old leader would not even come to the high-profile constituency to file his nomination papers.
Sources further said that Varun Gandhi recently purchased four sets of nomination papers through his associates. They furthermore added that all his party workers were asked to keep 2 vehicles and 10 motorcycles ready at every village of Pilibhit for election campaigning.
Gandhi is scheduled to file his nomination papers tomorrow, i.e., March 27. March 27 is the last date to file nomination papers for the first phase of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Varun Gandhi to contest as an independent
Earlier this month, reports suggesting that Varun Gandhi might contest as an independent candidate if the BJP does not give him a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 started doing the rounds.
Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav did not give a conclusive answer on whether his party would Varun Gandhi or not. "I don't know who is getting tickets and who is not in another party. Our party will decide whether to give a ticket to Varun Gandhi or not," Yadav told reporters at the time.
Top BJP candidates to watch out for in Uttar Pradesh
The saffron party has fielded Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, Smriti Irani from Amethi, Ravi Kishan from Gorakhpur, Hema Malini from Mathura, Sakshi Maharaj from Unnao, former BSP MP Ritesh Pandey from Ambedkar Nagar, Arun Govil from Meerut, Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua from Azamgarh, Satish Gautam from Aligarh, and Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur.
Why Varun Gandhi fell out of favour with BJP?
Varun Gandhi allegedly fell out of favour with the BJP's leadership when he criticised the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh on several occasions. In a veiled dig at Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Varun Gandhi said last year at an event to not disturb a sadhu standing nearby as nobody knows when 'maharaaj ji' will become the CM.
"Please do not stop him, never know when 'maharaaj ji' will become the CM. Then what will happen to us?" Varun Gandhi said.
In September last year, Gandhi also attacked the Uttar Pradesh government after the license of Amethi's Sanjay Gandhi Hospital was suspended following the death of a patient. He said on X (formerly Twitter) that "resentment against a naam (name) should not spoil the kaam (work) for people."
Back in 2021, the BJP dropped Varun and Maneka Gandhi from the 80-member National Executive over his tweets on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.