Happy to be in BJP: Maneka after son Varun denied ticket

Days after her son Varun Gandhi was denied a ticket from Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Maneka Gandhi broke her silence.

"I am very happy that I am in the BJP. I thank Amit Shah, PM Narendra Modi and Nadda Ji for giving me the ticket. The ticket was announced very late, so there was a dilemma as to where I should fight. From Pilibhit or Sultanpur. I am grateful for the decision the party has taken now," she said.

On being asked what Varun Gandhi would do now, she replied, "Ask him what he wants to do. We will consider this after the elections. There is time."

"I am very happy that I came back to Sultanpur because this place has a history where no MP came back into power again in Sultanpur," she said.

It was her first visit to Sultanpur after getting the ticket. On her 10-day visit to the district, she will pay a visit to 101 villages of the entire Lok Sabha constituency.

She was given a warm welcome by the party leaders and workers at various places like Katka Guptarganj, Tatianagar, Tedhui, Golaghat, Shahganj Square, Dariyapur Tiraha and Payagipur Square.

Maneka Gandhi also paid respect to the statues of BJP stalwarts Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.

The BJP replaced Varun Gandhi from Pilibhit with state minister Jitin Prasada.

Varun Gandhi has recently been vocal against the BJP on several issues, including employment and health.