India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, 66, has decided not to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls due to health reasons. “It’s the party that decides (the candidature) but I have made up my mind not to contest the next Lok Sabha elections,” Swaraj said. She added that she had undergone a kidney transplant in December 2016 and doctors have advised her to avoid dust. “Following medical advice against visiting open and crowded places, I have taken the decision to keep away from electoral politics. I have informed high command of my wish not to contest next LS polls,” she said.
Her announcement, however, does not preclude election to the Rajya Sabha and continuation of a ministerial assignment as Swaraj indicated that the task of being external affairs minister is not incompatible with her health requirements. If her request is accepted, it will make her the first in the post Vajpayee-Advani leadership era to opt out of electoral politics.
Replying to a question on ‘MP has gone missing’ posters being put up in her constituency, Sushma said, “I won two Lok Sabha polls from Vidisha and during my first eight years, I was quite active as I used to visit all eight assembly constituencies every month. This brought me the tag of most active MP. However, after undergoing the transplant, I could not visit the area but have fulfilled all the promises made to voters. If anybody has put up such posters and they are insensitive enough to make it an issue, then I have nothing to say about it,” she said.
