Menaka ploughs a Ione furrow in Sultanpur

The BJP's decision to withhold a ticket for Varun Gandhi has cast the spotlight on his mother, Menaka Gandhi, the party's candidate from Sultanpur.

Menaka, who clinched a victory here in 2019, submitted her nomination on May 2. She was joined by NDA allies, including NISHAD Party president Dr. Sanjay Nishad and Apna Dal leader Ashish Patel. Notably, BJP leaders were missing.

In the lead-up to the May 25 election in the sixth phase, Menaka Gandhi has been conspicuously solo in her campaign efforts. Despite the absence of BJP's star campaigners, she has not sought their support, focusing instead on grassroots "She doesn't rely on rallies by the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister to energize voters. She's engaging directly with people at the grassroots level and has already visited nearly 100 out of 1,200 gram panchayats in the Awadh region," a senior party member revealed.

Insiders report that pradhans from over 900-gram sabhas are in direct contact with Menaka, forming the cornerstone of her campaign strategy.