Varun Gandhi, former MP, who has been distancing himself from the BJP for long, sparked speculations in political circles about the prospects of his rejoining the saffron party after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday along with his wife and daughter.
Observers believe that his meeting with the prime minister, after a prolonged detachment from the party’s mainstream, may signal the end of the ‘political exile’ of the son of former MP Menaka Gandhi and late Sanjay Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Varun posted a picture of the meeting on social media with a caption: “Feel fortunate to receive the Prime Minister’s blessings and guidance.” He even referred to Modi’s personality as a ‘symbol of paternal affection and protection’, which analysts believe holds significant political implications.
Coming as it does ahead of the elections in five states, the meeting naturally raised questions about the future political equations. Will the distance between Varun Gandhi and the BJP begin to diminish? Given that both Varun Gandhi’s wife and mother-in-law are Bengali, could the BJP potentially utilise him in the electoral campaign in West Bengal? It is noteworthy here that the party did not allot him a ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. Instead, Jitin Prasada, who is currently a Union minister, was nominated as the candidate. Since then, discussions regarding the strain in Varun’s relationship with the party have emerged.
On the other hand, his mother, Menaka Gandhi, was also defeated in the last Lok Sabha elections from Sultanpur. Hence, there is no doubt in the political arena that the relationship between the Gandhi family and the BJP had somewhat cooled. Additionally, Varun had several meetings with his cousins, Rahul and sister Priyanka. However, Rahul made it clear to him that while their familial ties should remain intact, their political paths were entirely different. Furthermore, Varun had expressed a desire to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and even met with senior Trinamool leadership in Delhi, but there too, ‘the lentil did not boil’.
In this context, many believe that the courtesy meeting between the Prime Minister and Varun Gandhi ahead of the state elections hints at a shift in the political equations. Some observers suggest that if the party intends to adopt a new strategy for the upcoming elections, Varun Gandhi, a well-known figure, may be seen assuming a more active role once again. Analysts are not dismissing the possibility of utilising him in West Bengal politics considering his wife’s Bengali background.