The countdown has begun for the Lok Sabha polls 2024, the first phase of voting is set to happen on April 19. While there are stories doing rounds on Varun Gandhi being snubbed by the BJP and mother Maneka Gandhi trying her best to negotiate, another video catches eyeballs on social media, a video clip of defence minister Rajnath Singh.
In the era where the clan is preferred over craft, nepotism is a more talked-about term than development, there’s a leader who said no to someone in politics for the latter was his son. In the old video that has garnered all praise, Rajat Sharma is seen questioning Rajnath Singh for denying his son an assembly ticket from Varanasi.
The senior journalist asks – Is it true that while being the BJP president, you denied a ticket to your son?
The leader answers – It happened in 2007 during assembly elections in UP. Veteran leader Kalyan Singh and Kalraj Mishra wished to field my son Pankaj Singh from one of the seats of Varanasi and asked me to give the ticket which I denied. I said that I wouldn’t give a ticket to my son by my hand.
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Later in the evening, when I reached home, Pankaj came to me to touch my feet and seek blessings. I didn’t say any words of blessing to him. He was hurt and narrated the story to his mother who in response argued with me for him. I clearly stated that I can’t give the symbol to my son because for me all are equal.
Even the senior-most leader of the party, Atal Bihari Vajpayee disagreed with the then-BJP president. Actually when Kalyan Singh and Kalraj Mishra came to talk for Pankaj, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani were sitting with Rajnath Singh. Vajpayee disagreed with Singh’s denial.
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While answering Rajat Sharma, Singh said that Pankaj was initially hurt by this act but later he realized the scenario and said to his father – If you don’t want, I won’t contest for polls.
