NEW DELHI: Amid the uncertainty on who would be the BJP and Congress candidates from Indore Lok Sabha seat of Madhya Pradesh, the eight-time sitting BJP MP from the seat and present Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced on Friday that she won't contest the general elections.
In an official statement, the 75-year-old BJP politician said that the party is yet to decide it's candidate from Indore.
"But why is the party indecisive, maybe the party is hesitant about making the decision. I had already discussed the matter with the party's senior leaders and left upon them to decide over the matter," said Mahajan.
Mahajan added that, " it seems that the party is still in dilemma, due to which I have decided not to contest Lok Sabha polls. The party can now decide in the matter with free mind."
The septuagenarian leader said, "I hope the party will decide the candidate from Indore soon, ending uncertainty over the issue of who'll contest from Indore."
Mahajan who turns 76 on April 12 has been undefeated from Indore since 1989 when she defeated ex-CM and Congress stalwart PC Sethi.
She won the 2014 polls with a massive margin of 4.66 lakh votes.
Speculations were rife that she might be denied ticket by BJP under 75-plus age formula, which has seen other BJP veterans, LK Advani and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi were not fielded in the Lok Sabha polls this time.
With Mahajan not contesting Lok Sabha polls, several names are doing rounds of BJP circles from Indore seat, including Indore IV MLA and city mayor Malini Gaud, Indore Development Authority chairmanship Shankar Lalwani and Mhow MLA Usha Thakur.
Owing to BJP not deciding it's candidate, the Congress too hasn't decided it's candidate from the seat, which has been BJP bastion since 1989.