Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit on Tuesday. He urged the citizens to extend their support to Jitin Prasada, the Public Works Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the BJP’s candidate for the Lok Sabha seat from Pilibhit.
The current Member of Parliament, Varun Gandhi, who was denied a party ticket from Pilibhit, and his mother, Maneka Gandhi, who is contesting the elections on a BJP ticket from Sultanpur, were not present at the event.
Maneka, Varun Gandhi skip PM Modi’s Pilibhit rally event
As per a report in Hindustan Times, leaders of the BJP’s Pilibhit unit stated that both Maneka Gandhi, the party’s MP from Sultanpur, and Varun Gandhi, the MP from Pilibhit, were not included in the list of star campaigners released by the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
They further mentioned that the duo had not been invited to participate in the campaign or events for party candidates contesting in the eight seats, including Pilibhit, which are scheduled for polling in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19, the report added.
After Varun Gandhi, a three-time MP from Pilibhit, was denied a BJP ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, speaking to ANI, his mother Maneka Gandhi expressed confidence that Varun will continue contributing positively to the nation in the future. “It’s ultimately the party’s decision. Varun has served as a commendable MP. Whatever path he chooses in life, he will continue to serve the country well,” Maneka remarked.
This year, the BJP has fielded Jitin Prasada to contest from Pilibhit, replacing Varun Gandhi. Pilibhit’s voting is scheduled for the first phase on April 19. Jitin Prasada previously won the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 on a Congress ticket from the Shahjahanpur constituency. In 2009, he secured victory in the Dhaurahara constituency and served as a Union Minister in the Congress government. Subsequently, in 2021, he joined the BJP.
Since 1996, the Pilibhit seat has been consistently held by either Maneka Gandhi or her son, Varun. BJP MP Varun, Gandhi clinched victory in the 2009 and 2019 elections. He secured a landslide victory in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Pilibhit, defeating Congress’ VM Singh. In 2019, he won the seat, defeating SP candidate Hemraj Verma.
Lok Sabha Election 2024
The battle for the Lok Sabha polls is set to take place in seven phases starting from April 19. Uttar Pradesh, which holds the distinction of sending the highest number of MPs, 80 in total, to the Parliament, will participate in voting across all seven phases.
-With agency inputs
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it’s all here, just a click away! Login Now!
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More
Less
Published: 10 Apr 2024, 08:11 AM IST