Sushma says not contesting 2019 polls on health grounds

Indore: Citing health reasons, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who was once touted as a prime ministerial candidate in the BJP, on Tuesday said she has decided not to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

"Candidates are decided by the party. But I have made up my mind that I won't be contesting in the next elections," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said on the sidelines of an event here. "This is in keeping with my health."

The 66-year-old Sushma Swaraj, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2016, said she had conveyed her decision to the party.

The Vidisha MP's decision not to contest in 2019 came even as campaigning for the November 28 Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is seeking a fourth consecutive term in office, was in full swing.

BJP sources said the party might bring her back into parliament through the Rajya Sabha. Swaraj is known for her oratorical skills and sharp repartee in the house.

Sources in her family confirmed that Swaraj needed to avoid infections and was taking precautions.