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Is Varun Gandhi joining the Congress?

Recent reports say BJP's Varun Gandhi is all set to leave the party and join the opposition Congress.

By Oneindia Staff Writer
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, April 13: If reports are to be believed, Member of Parliament from Sultanpur Varun Gandhi is all set to leave the Bharatiya Janata Party and join the Congress. According to a report by Daily O, Varun, who is miffed with the BJP for sidelining him by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, is planning his ghar wapsi.

A senior Congress leader told Daily O that the grand old party is also planning to welcome Varun into its fold to save the sinking ship of the Congress. The Congress leader also said that Varun's joining the Congress would be in the party's interest to give a tough fight to Modi and Shah's mission to win 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Varun Gandhi

Varun, the son of Sanjay Gandhi -- the younger brother of former PM Rajiv Gandhi -- shares cordial relationship with his cousins, Rahul and Priyanka. Varun, 37, had a meteoric rise in the BJP as he was well-supported and encouraged by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and late Pramod Mahajan.

However, in recent times, Varun's role in the party has diminished. Reports say PM Modi is 'unhappy' with Varun as he refused to contest elections against his cousin Rahul from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in 2014.

Varun did not campaign for the party in the recently-concluded assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, where the party registered a thumping victory by winning 325 seats with its allies in the 403-member UP assembly.

When Varun's mother and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi was asked about her son's whereabouts during the assembly elections, she told media persons that the BJP leader was 'too busy' to campaign in the state. "Varun has been very busy. He's been travelling to speak to students across the country at various campuses," said Maneka.

However, reports suggest that Varun, known for his provocative speeches, skipped campaigning as he and his supporters were miffed with the senior leaders in the party for not declaring him as the chief ministerial candidate of the saffron party in UP.

Many also say that the 37-year-old leader was upset when no one from the BJP came out in his support when allegations surfaced that he was honey-trapped into revealing defence secrets last year. Moreover, Varun's name as one of the BJP's star campaigners was declared pretty late by his party.

While Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Maneka don't share a good relationship, Varun is said to be in constant touch with his cousins, Rahul and Priyanka. We have to wait and watch to see how far these reports are true or are mere speculations.

OneIndia News

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