UAE | General
Maneka Gandhi set to join ruling BJP
In order to counter a Gandhi with another Gandhi, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to welcome into its fold Maneka Gandhi, the estranged sister-in-law of the rival Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi.
- By Ajay Jha, Chief Correspondent
- Published: 00:00 January 25, 2004
In order to counter a Gandhi with another Gandhi, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to welcome into its fold Maneka Gandhi, the estranged sister-in-law of the rival Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Maneka, a lawmaker from Pilibhit constituency of Uttaranchal province, had won the 1999 Lok Sabha election as an independent with the BJP's support.
She served as a federal minister until she was dropped from the cabinet since her role as a leading animal activist often came in conflict with the government's policies.
According to BJP sources, talks with Maneka have been finalised under which she will seek re-election from Pilibhit in the upcoming general elections as a BJP candidate.
Given Maneka's popularity with fellow-Sikh voters, who outnumber the local populace, her victory was never in doubt. However, her decision to formally join the BJP will give a boost to the BJP in the run-up to the general elections, likely to be held in April.
Maneka, on the other hand, seeks stability in politics considering her earlier attempt to float her own party failed to take off. Interestingly, the biggest catch for the BJP will be Maneka's son Varun Gandhi, whom it plans to unleash to counter his cousins Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, who are on the verge of jumping into active politics.
While Varun, 24, will have to wait for another year before he becomes eligible to contest elections, even members of the Congress party appreciate his political acumen. It was Varun who negotiated his mother's entry into the BJP after he had a series of meetings with senior BJP leaders including its national president M. Venkaiah Naidu.
Maneka is younger daughter-in-law of the assassinated prime minister Indira Gandhi, while Sonia is Indira's elder daughter-in-law. Maneka fell out with her in-laws soon after her husband Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crash in 1980 and was subsequently thrown out of the Gandhi-Nehru household.
Political circles here say that although Menaka was too inclined initially to join the BJP, but had to give in before Varun's persistent stand that as an aspiring politician, he had better future with the BJP and will give him a platform to counter charm of his cousins, being projected as natural political heir of the famous Gandhi-Nehru clan, which has ruled the country for close to 37 years after its independence in 1947.
Curiously, many top leaders of the Congress party owe their rise in politics to Sanjay Gandhi. These include two powerful general secretaries Ambika Soni and Kamalnath.
Sonia's predecessor as the Congress president, Sitaram Kesari, was so impressed with Varun that months before his death he had declared him as the real heir of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian prime minister and great grand father of Varun, Rahul and Priyanka.
With the mother and son poised to join the BJP, the ruling party is already busy drawing up strategies to counter Gandhis with Gandhis. Varun, who had impressed everyone with his campaigning at Pilibhit in 1999, may even be asked to campaign for the BJP in Amethi and its neighbourhood, the traditional seats of the Gandhis.
While Sonia represents Amethi seat in the Lok Sabha, it first came into limelight when Sanjay Gandhi contested from this seat.
The BJP already has in its fold Arun Nehru, second cousin of Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi and a former federal minister. He had unsuccessfully contested the Rae Bareli seat in 1999 polls as the BJP candidate, although there is no word as yet on whether the BJP will nominate him again as Nehru has remained politically inactive since then.
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