Lucknow: A meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Tuesday has triggered fresh political speculation about a possible reconciliation between the party leadership and the Gandhi family faction led by Maneka Gandhi.
Varun Gandhi met the Prime Minister at his residence in the morning along with his wife Yamini Roy Chaudhary and daughter Anasuya. This is being seen as his first meeting with Modi after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Sharing details of the meeting on social media platform X, Varun Gandhi said he felt fortunate to meet the Prime Minister with his family and receive his guidance and blessings. He described Modi’s persona as having a paternal warmth and said the interaction strengthened his belief that the Prime Minister is a guardian figure for the nation.
The meeting has set off speculation in political circles about Varun Gandhi’s possible return to an active role in the Bharatiya Janata Party, especially with the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled next year. There are indications that he may be given a more prominent role in the state’s political landscape.
Adding to the buzz, sources suggest that the BJP may consider fielding Yamini Roy Chaudhary, Varun Gandhi’s wife, in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, though there has been no official confirmation so far.
Varun Gandhi, who has represented Pilibhit and Sultanpur in the Lok Sabha, had earlier been at odds with the party leadership. Ahead of the 2024 general elections, he had publicly criticised the BJP and the central government on several issues.
The differences were also visible during the election campaign when the BJP denied him a ticket from Pilibhit. Although he campaigned for his mother Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur on the last day, his visible distancing from party symbols at the rally had drawn attention.
The latest meeting is now being viewed as a possible signal of changing equations within the party, though BJP leaders have not issued any formal statement on the development.