Denied ticket by BJP, Varun gets offer to join Congress

Suspense over Rae Bareli candidate continues as both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party play their cards close to the chest

LUCKNOW It seems to be ‘pehle aap, pehle aap’ (your turn first) between the Congress and the BJP as both parties are playing their cards close to the chest regarding the candidate for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat that goes to polls in the fifth phase on May 20.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday claimed that Varun Gandhi was denied a Lok Sabha ticket by the BJP because of his connection with the Gandhi family and extended an invitation to him to join the grand old party. (ANI File Photo)

Considered the Congress’ bastion, Rae Bareli is the only LS seat that the party won from UP in 2019 while winning this seat is of foremost importance to the BJP to accomplish its Mission 80 in the state.

Congress’ top leader Sonia Gandhi’s move to take the Rajya Sabha route to parliament via Rajasthan had triggered the demand in the grand old party that a member of Nehru-Gandhi family be fielded from the seat in 2024 polls.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and Rae Bareli Congress passed resolutions demanding that the party fields Priyanka Gandhi or a member of Gandhi family as the candidate from Rae Bareli. The state Congress’ Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) also passed a similar resolution.

“We hope a decision about Rae Bareli seat will be taken soon,” said UPCC president Ajay Rai, who has been fielded from Varanasi.

Meanwhile, the BJP too was keeping quiet about the party’s candidate for Rae Bareli. Former Congress leader Dinesh Pratap Singh had contested 2019 Lok Sabha election against Sonia Gandhi who secured 55.78% votes in the election.

Samajwadi Party’s rebel Manoj Kumar Pandey, who resigned as party’s chief whip on the day of voting in Rajya Sabha elections last month, was also being considered a strong contender for the Rae Bareli seat. He was reportedly aspiring for a BJP ticket.

The name of BJP’s Pilibhit MP, Varun Gandhi, denied a ticket from his LS seat, was also being discussed as a possible BJP candidate from Rae Bareli.

He was substituted with former Congress member Jitin Prasada to run for the Pilibhit seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.

However, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday claimed that Varun Gandhi was denied a Lok Sabha ticket by the BJP because of his connection with the Gandhi family and extended an invitation to him to join the grand old party.

“He (Varun Gandhi) is a strong leader with a clean image and has a connection with the Gandhi family. This is why the BJP denied him ticket. I think he should come (join Congress), we will be very happy,” Chowdhury was quoted as saying in a PTI report.

Those aware of the development said the BJP initially offered Varun Gandhi to contest from Rae Bareli. Gandhi, however, was not inclined to contest from the seat amid possibilities of Priyanka Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi contesting from the seat considered to be the family’s bastion.

Will Varun Gandhi agree to contest from Rae Bareli, if Priyanka Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi decide not to contest from the seat and the Congress fields someone else? Rae Bareli’s senior BJP leaders said they were not aware of any such moves. Rae Bareli BJP president Buddhi Lal Pasi said: “We hope a decision on the issue will be taken soon.”