On Wednesday, Varun Gandhi, the incumbent BJP MP, announced his decision not to vie for the Lok Sabha elections from the Pilibhit constituency after being denied a ticket by the BJP. Expressing his disappointment, Gandhi informed the press that he had opted out of the electoral race in Pilibhit.
Despite his dedicated efforts towards the upliftment and welfare of his constituency, Gandhi stated that he was taken aback by the party's decision. In a statement, a BJP spokesperson confirmed the nomination filing by Jitin Prasada, concluding the nomination process for the seat.
Pilibhit has historically been a bastion for BJP, first under Maneka Gandhi's leadership and later under Varun Gandhi's. Since 1989, when Maneka Gandhi clinched her inaugural Lok Sabha victory from the constituency under the Janata Dal banner, the family has held sway over Pilibhit. Despite a setback in the 1991 polls, Maneka Gandhi regained the seat in 1996 and maintained her winning streak through subsequent elections until 2004.
In 2009, she passed the baton to Varun Gandhi, who secured victory on a BJP ticket. Maneka Gandhi subsequently shifted her focus to the Sultanpur Lok Sabha seat in 2009, returned to Pilibhit in 2014, and then to Sultanpur again in 2019. Remarkably, this election marks the first instance since 1989 where neither Maneka Gandhi nor her son will be contesting from Pilibhit.
Read also | Kerala BJP Chief Accuses Rahul Gandhi of Betraying Wayanad Voters
