Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Declines BJP's Invitation to Contest Lok Sabha Elections
Sitharaman cites financial constraints and other factors as reasons for her decision, highlighting challenges in electoral politics.
On Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced her decision to turn down the BJP's invitation to run for office, citing a lack of the "kind of funds" necessary to compete in the Lok Sabha elections.
The minister said that she was offered the choice to run from Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh by BJP President J P Nadda.
"At the end of a week or ten days of contemplation, I just went back and said, maybe not. I'm not contesting with that type of money. Whether it's Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh, I too have an issue. It will also depend on a number of other winnability factors that they use.Which religion are you from—this one or another one? Are you a resident of this? I told her, 'No, I don't believe I can do that,'" she said.
Here at the TIMES NOW Summit 2024, Sitharaman was giving a speech.
"I am very appreciative that they agreed with my viewpoint...Therefore, I'm not contesting," she said.
She said that the Consolidated Fund of India did not belong to her when questioned why not even the nation's finance minister had enough money to contest the Lok Sabha elections.
She said, "My salary, my earnings, my savings are mine and not the Consolidated Fund of India" .
A number of current Rajya Sabha members have been fielded by the governing BJP for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, which start on April 19.
Among them are Jyotiraditya Scindia, Rajiv Chandrasekhar, Mansukh Mandaviya, Piyush Goyal, and Bhupender Yadav.
Karnataka-born Sitharaman is a member of the Rajya Sabha.
The minister said that she would be running her campaign for many politicians.
"I'll be at a lot of media events as well. And accompanying the candidates—for example, tomorrow I'll be attending Rajiv Chandrasekhar's campaign; sure, I'll be out and about," she said.
