New Delhi: Union Minister and senior BJP member Maneka Gandhi has pitched for her son Varun Gandhi, who represents Sultanpur in the Lok Sabha, to become the next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
"If the Uttar Pradesh government was headed by the BJP, it would have been good, even better if Varun Gandhi was governing the state," Maneka said while addressing a rally in her Lok Sabha constituency Pilibhit.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh refused to comment on Maneka's statement. The BJP had done exceedingly well in the recent Lok Sabha elections winning 73 of the 80 seats from the state.
But senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar said that any decision on projecting a leader as Uttar Pradesh's chief minister would be taken by the party. "The decision is taken by party leadership. There is a need for attention on UP and there are many good leaders in the party," he replied when asked about Maneka's comments.
Uttar Pradesh government is presently ruled by the Samajwadi Party government with Akhilesh Yadav as the Chief Minister. His government has come under severe criticism over deteriorating law and order in the state and a spate of communal riots in the past two years which have claimed several lives.
