The almost two-and-a-half years spent in the backyards of the BJP has served Varun Gandhi well. BJP’s Member of Parliament from Sultanpur who was dropped from the party’s list of office bearers by Amit Shah, had managed to come up with an 870-page book.
'A Rural Manifesto: Realising India’s Future through Her Villages’' talks about India’s rural society and economy. In the book Varun advocates Mahathma Gandhi’s Grama Swaraj as a way out for the Indian farmer reeling from the debt trap. He is highlighting how the villages can turn themselves into the present and future of the country.
However, the political circles are now heatedly debating the chances for Varun Gandhi's Grama Swaraj to find a niche in the Indian National Congress’s election manifesto as the former spokesperson of BJP has of late been training his guns against the Modi government for its anti-farmer policies. Rumours are rife that Varun is now leaning more towards cousin Rahul and cousin Priyanka.
Varun Gandhi points out that only 17% of the total amount given to the 100 industrial families of the country during 1952–2019 was given to farmers. He would have Rahul Gandhi agree with him on most of the points, especially in charging Modi’s government as a 'Suit Boot ki Sarkar,' which is ultra liberal to the industrialists even as cruelly neglecting the families of farmers who killed themselves.
He begs to differ with the argument that waiving agricultural loans makes bad economics and contends that the actual reason for the increasing debt of banks is not because of agricultural loans, but because of the leniency shown towards the industrialists. He argues that the same preference shown to the industrialists should be shown to the farmers as well.
There are more reasons for the rumours going around that Varun, son of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's brother Sanjay Gandhi, will be returning to the paternal family. Varun is already cast out of BJP's star campaigners. During the last assembly polls, Varun was conducting his own personal tours through the villages of the constituency.
One of the big questions that Rahul Gandhi had to face following Priyanka’s decision to enter politics was about the possibilities of Varun’s return to the family fold.
It is widely believed that mother and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi’s ambitious schemes for making Varun the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh had backfired, causing his fall from favour within the party. Maneka had made public statements that Varun was the most suitable candidate for the post of UP chief ministership immediately after the Modi Government had swept into power.
However, Maneka Gandhi, at present Member of Parliament from Pilibhit, will be continuing in the BJP fold even if the son might shift camp. There are chances that the mother-son duo would be continuing in two parties, like the Scindia family.
Even as the backdoor rumours are rife, both the BJP and Congress are maintaining a silence on the issue. However, in case Varun joins the ranks of Congress, that would offer a big helping hand to the Congress in UP, along with Priyanka’s entry.
Rumours about Varun Gandhi's ghar wapsi (homecoming) are doing the rounds even as the BJP continues to chide the Congress on dynasty politics.
