As the BJP gears up for politically crucial poll battle in Uttar Pradesh and seeks to expand and charge-up its campaign in all six zones using its influential leaders in the State from the coming month, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Thursday categorically denied a report that claimed that he had been asked by the party “to restrict his activities to his Sultanpur constituency”.
A report in a section of Press claimed that MP’s visit to Allahabad where the party is to hold its National Executive meet on June 12 and June 13, “did not go down well with the top party leadership” which allegedly asked the former “ to inform before leaving his constituency”.
In a tweet, Varun denounced the report saying “What a laughably fictitious story. Please don’t invent your own narrative,” the MP added.
While Central leadership did not make any comment on the issue, the State BJP president reportedly maintained that “ there is nothing like that”.
However, some in the BJP do foresee that there could be a possible move” to clip MP’s wings” when the poll campaign in the State goes full steam. It is known that the Sultanpur MP has been systematically touring different constituencies for some time as also pro-actively interacting with farmers and the youth, particularly students , and evoking positive response from the pollsters.
His presence in the party’s officials rallies and functions has come down to a minimum in last one year.
Interestingly, the surveys carried out by different agencies in recent months seem to be backing up the young MP. An ETV poll had Varun ahead vis-à-vis other candidates for CM face with 51 per cent and another survey for India Today reportedly showed him with 45 per cent against others.
Varun who is not known to be in the best of terms with BJP president Amit Shah, has been increasingly touring the State on his own independent of party’s programmes “and connecting with people”. Appointed general secretary during Rajnath Singh’s tenure, he was moved out of the post after the ascendency of Shah.