Even Milkha Singh stopped: Sushma Swaraj's husband on her 2019 polls reveal

New Delhi, Nov 20: Soon after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announced her decision to not to contest any more elections, her husband Swaraj Kaushal on Tuesday welcomed her decision and tweeted "thank you".

"Madam (Sushma Swaraj) - Thank you very much for your decision not to contest any more elections. I remember there came a time when even Milkha Singh stopped running," he said in a series of tweets.

"This marathon has been on since 1977 - that is 41 years. You have contested 11 direct elections. In fact you contested all elections held since 1977 except twice when party did not allow you to contest in 1991 and 2004," Swaraj Kaushal said.

"You have been four terms in Lok Sabha, three terms in Rajya Sabha and thrice elected to state Assembly. You are contesting elections since you were 25 - and fighting elections for 41 years is quite a marathon," he said.

"Madam - I am running behind you for the last 46 years. I am no longer a 19-year-old. Please, I am also running out of breath. Thank you," he added.

Union minister Sushma Swaraj, one of the senior most leaders of the ruling BJP and a nine-time parliamentarian, has declared that she will not contest the 2019 national election.

"It is the party which decides, but I have made up my mind not to contest the next elections," said Ms Swaraj, 66, in Indore. She said she had informed her party.

Swaraj is the Lok Sabha MP from Vidisha, around 56 km from state capital Bhopal.