After being dropped by the BJP as its candidate for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit constituency, Varun Gandhi, the sitting MP, has received an offer from the Congress party. Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury extended a warm invitation to Varun Gandhi, stating that he is “most welcome” to join the grand old party.

Addressing reporters, Adhir Chowdhury asserted that Varun Gandhi’s exclusion from the BJP’s list of candidates is likely due to his family ties with the Gandhi family. He expressed the Congress party’s eagerness to welcome Varun Gandhi, praising him as a prominent leader with a strong educational background and a transparent image. Chowdhury emphasized that Varun’s connections with the Gandhi family are valuable, indicating that this might have influenced the BJP’s decision not to field him.

The BJP recently announced its fifth list of Lok Sabha candidates, omitting Varun Gandhi from the lineup for the Pilibhit constituency while retaining his mother, Maneka Gandhi, as the candidate for Sultanpur.

In place of Varun Gandhi, former Congress leader Jitin Prasada, who switched to the BJP in 2021, has been nominated as the candidate for Pilibhit.

Sources close to Varun Gandhi revealed that he feels disheartened by the BJP’s decision and is contemplating not contesting the elections at all. Despite making preparations for his candidacy, including purchasing nomination papers and organizing campaign logistics, Varun Gandhi’s camp has been silent since the denial of the BJP ticket.

Earlier speculations suggested that Varun Gandhi might consider contesting independently if denied a ticket by the BJP, although he has not officially announced his intentions yet.

Allegedly, Varun Gandhi’s relationship with the BJP soured due to his criticism of the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh on various occasions. However, he has yet to make a formal statement regarding his future course of action.