In a major disappointment to those eagerly waiting for a political slugfest between the two male legatees of Nehru-Gandhi clan, BJP’s Varun Gandhi and Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, the former has made it clear that he will not utter a single word against his cousin or “Soniaji”( Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi).
More importantly, Varun said he stood for the politics of development and that issues were far more important than the personalities.
“Yes, my politics is of development , governance and improving the system not highlighting the individuals,” he said while on a campaign trail through the dusty villages here, which was once represented by his father, the late Sanjay Gandhi.
Regarding his poll prospects here, where he had been shifted to from his sitting Pilibhit seat Varun said, “ This is family reunion after a gap of more than three decades.
“The people here had also supported my father and voted for him in the elections.
On his widely criticised 2009 Pilibhit speech, which had been dubbed a hate speech against Muslims he said, “ People wrongly interpreted it and I even had to go to jail over the controversial speech.” And the BJP leader said in his defence that one should not forget the fact that he had been given a clean chit by the courts.
According to Varun, “enough is enough , no caste and religion or even region , this time only development and good governance to ensure meaningful relief to the people of this country”.
By an odd coincidence Sultanpur, which had voted for Congress candidate Sanjay Sinh in 2009, neighbours Amethi from where Rahul is seeking the mandate. It will be Singh’s wife Amita who will be the Congress candidate from Sultanpur in the upcoming polls since Sinh has been given a Rajya Sabha berth.
A protege of Sanjay, Sinh virtually oversaw the Congress’ affairs in UP on behalf of his mentor. And it could even be that Sinh didn’t want to run against the son of his late friend.