Bypoll setback: Maneka wants Varun back to centre stage?

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Sep 17 2014 | 8:40 PM IST
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, who is a Lok Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, today refused to comment on BJP's reversal in the just-held bypolls but suggested in a lighter vein that her son Varun should be brought back to the centre of politics in the state.
"Absolutely not", she said when asked at a press conference here to comment on setback to the party in UP where it lost seven of the 10 seats held by it as well as one belonging to ally Apna Dal to the ruling Samajwadi Party.
"I can't answer a political question here because I am confined to the ministry. But as far as I know, I work really hard and that's not fair," said the Women and Child Development Minister who represents Pillibit constituency in the Lok Sabha.
When asked to comment on the absence of star campaigners, including her son Varun, during the bypolls, she quipped "okay, so now we are just going to bring him back".
Varun, Lok Sabha member from Sultanpur in UP who used to be the star campaigner in the state, has lately been sidelined with new BJP Amit Shah dropping him as General Secretary last month.
Maneka Gandhi had earlier vouched for projecting him as a Chief Ministerial candidate of the state.
Gandhi, who was addressing the press conference to present the work done by her ministry in 100 days, said the poor show in the bypolls was "so sad" as "I work so hard".
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 17 2014 | 8:40 PM IST

Next Story