Varun Gandhi
Credit: PTI File Photo
Lucknow: Firebrand BJP leader Varun Gandhi on Thursday took a veiled dig at his party after being denied re-nomination from Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and indicated that he would not hesitate in taking his own government to task over issues confronting the common people even if it cost him dearly.
Varun, who penned an emotional letter addressed to the electorate of Pilibhit, a day after the nomination process in the seat came to an end and he, contrary to the speculations, did not file his nomination papers as an independent candidate, said that his relations with the people of the constituency would remain the same even though he would no longer be their representative in the Lok Sabha.
''I had joined politics to raise my voice in the interest of the common people and I seek your (people) blessings to continue to do so irrespective of the price I may have to pay for the same,'' Varun said in his letter, which he posted on 'X' (formerly Twitter).
''My relation with the people of Pilibhit is above party politics,'' he added.
Varun also recalled that he fondly remembered the day he had visited Pilibhit for the first time in 1983 at the age of three holding the hands of his mother and former union minister Maneka Gandhi having little imagination that one day these very people would become his family and the constituency his 'karmbhoomi' (work place).
Varun's letter did not mention BJP anywhere and the tone of the letter clearly indicated that there might not be any let up in his diatribe against the BJP government in the state.
Varun had triggered speculations that he might contest from Pilibhit as an independent candidate after he got one of his representatives to purchase four sets of nomination papers a few days back.Varun represented Pilibhit twice in the Lok Sabha in 2009 and 2019.
BJP, by re-nominating Varun's mother Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur LS seat, might have stopped him from contesting against the official party nominee at Pilibhit.
Varun had been quite vocal in his criticism of the Yogi Adityanath government in the state as well as the NDA government at the centre and his diatribe might have cost him the party re-nomination.
UP BJP leaders, however, claimed that Varun would campaign for his mother in Sultanpur.