Gautam Gambhir’s low attendance raises eyebrows as he steps away from politics

Tribune News Service

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, March 2

BJP MP Gautam Gambhir announced his withdrawal from active politics in a post on X today. The former cricketer, who joined the BJP in March 2019, has been a prominent figure for the party in Delhi.

Choosing incompetent candidates a pattern with BJP: AAP

• AAP and the BJP traded barbs after the saffron party decided to replace its incumbent Lok Sabha MPs with new candidates in several LS constituencies, including East Delhi.
• While AAP leaders have criticised the pattern of replacing MPs, the BJP has defended its strategy, emphasising its commitment to party ideology and serving the people.
• AAP leaders accused the BJP of endorsing incompetent individuals initially, only to move them out after five years due to perceived inadequacies.
• “It has become a trend for the BJP to endorse anyone as a candidate without assessing their qualifications and commitment to work for the people,” AAP leader Atishi said.
• Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the fear of defeat might have influenced Atishi’s statements. He said that the BJP was an ideological institution committed to nationalism and serving the people, where individual candidates were secondary to the party’s collective effort.

He secured victory in the East Delhi seat during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, with a substantial margin of 6,95,109 votes. However, Gambhir’s tenure as the MP of East Delhi has been marked by a low attendance record in the Lok Sabha sessions. Out of 155 sittings, he was present for only 86, a mere 55.48 per cent attendance rate.

During the first session following the 17th General Elections in 2019, Gambhir attended six of seven sittings. In the subsequent winter session with 10 sittings, he attended eight. However, his attendance saw a decline in March 2020 session, where he only attended seven of 14 sittings. His attendance continued to plummet, reaching its lowest during session VIII in April 2022, where he didn’t attend any of the the nine sittings. Although he attended all six sittings in the following August 2022 session, his presence dwindled, with only three of seven sittings in session XII and three in the session XIII. He attended only two of nine sessions this February.

Apart from his low attendance, Gambhir has actively participated in parliamentary proceedings by asking 79 questions, introducing one bill as a private member, and engaging in four debates during his tenure as an MP. His decision to exit politics surfaced amid speculation that Gambhir might not receive a ticket for the upcoming polls to the Lok Sabha.

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