Maneka Gandhi bats for Varun as UP CM, BJP tightlipped

Union Minister Maneka Gandhi batted for her son Varun Gandhi as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, but the top BJP leadership Monday remained tightlipped on the question of the party's face in the state.

At a public meeting in Pilibhit Sunday, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development said her son and BJP MP from Sultanpur would be a good chief minister for the state.

She accused the ruling Samajwadi Party leadership in Uttar Pradesh of "wilfully neglecting" development work, and maintained if Varun Gandhi were to be the chief minister, things would be much better.

However, the BJP leaders remained guarded.

Union Home Minister and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh did not comment when journalists sought his reaction on Maneka Gandhi's statement.

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman told IANS: "I will most certainly not like to comment. There is a party spokesman and a government spokesman. I am neither."

Maneka Gandhi had said: "In Uttar Pradesh the government is of Mulayam Singh, whereas in the centre the BJP is in power. Mulayam Singh has wilfully stopped all development work in the state to teach a lesson to people for having voted for the BJP (in Lok Sabha polls)."

She expressed hope that the BJP will be elected to govern Uttar Pradesh when assembly polls are held in 2017.

"You wait for a year and see how the development of roads, schools and good power supply starts. It will be even better if Varun Gandhi heads the government."