On a campaign trail with sitting MP and BJP candidate Maneka Gandhi, it is not uncommon to suddenly see her frugal cavalcade stop. The animal lover in her takes over and she catches stray chicken and hen and brings them home. Over the past few weeks, her home has been Shastri Nagar in Sultanpur, from where she is contesting the Lok Sabha elections.
Animals and birds attract her. “I remember the first time I went to Pilibhit to contest. It’s the butterflies that attracted me. There are some beautiful varieties there and I would love catching them,” she told News18. But, today, Pilibhit is out of their hands when son and sitting MP Varun Gandhi was denied a ticket, which went to former Congress leader Jitin Prasada.
Like Sonia Gandhi in 2004, who gave up Amethi for Rahul Gandhi, Maneka had also moved to Sultanpur in 2009 so that Varun could contest from Pilibhit.
Asked how she felt about where things are today, she said: “I felt bad. He has been doing good work. So, I saw it as an interruption. But, it’s the party that takes the final call.”
Varun has been silent since being denied a ticket to contest from Pilibhit. In fact, he was absent when Maneka filed her nomination. But, he has made it clear that he will accept the party’s decision.
To the speculation that he refused to contest against senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in case she contested from Rae Bareli, Maneka said: “I was not kept in the loop. But, I am glad he said no.”
It is a well-known fact that Varun is close to Priyanka. In the 2019 general elections, when Priyanka and Rahul hit out at Varun for being in the BJP, he maintained silence. He has made it clear that he will not attack the Gandhi siblings despite no love lost between them.
Sultanpur is at one corner of the triangle with Amethi and Rae Bareli on the other ends. Invited by the prime minister to speak during the inauguration of the new parliament building as one of the senior-most MPs, Maneka struck an emotive note. But, when it comes to the reluctance of the Gandhis fighting from the family bastions, she does not mince words.
“I will call it cowardice. When you call yourself a leader, when you want to lead you must learn to fight. There is no excuse. It’s cowardice. Rahul lost in Amethi because he ran away to Wayanad,” she said.
Asked if Priyanka can weave her magic, she said: “We must ask what she has contributed to the country? All she does is photo ops.”
With the Samajwadi Party divided and facing backlash, it is clear that Maneka will have a smooth sailing. She broadly smiles and returns to indulge her pets.
Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
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