Pranab Mukherjee will not enter active politics again, says his daughter
Sharmistha Mukherjee made the statement in response to the Shiv Sena’s speculation over her father as the RSS’ choice of prime minister.
Former President and veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee will not enter active politics again, his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee said on Sunday. First elected as a Rajya Sabha MP in 1969, the 81-year-old leader had a political career spanning nearly five decades. He was president from 2012 to 2017.
Sharmistha Mukherjee made the statement on Twitter in response to a suggestion by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh would pitch Pranab Mukherjee as the prime minister if the Bharatiya Janata Party did not get a majority in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Raut, after retiring as President of India, my father is NOT going to enter into active politics again https://t.co/WJmmZx5g1y
— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) June 10, 2018
We feel RSS is preparing itself for a situation where it might put forth Pranab Mukherjee ji as PM name if BJP fails to get required numbers, in any case BJP will lose a minimum of 110 seats this time: Sanjay Raut,Shiv Sena pic.twitter.com/y36dsakELo
— ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2018
Raut’s remark came three days after Pranab Mukherjee delivered a speech at an RSS event in Nagpur. His decision to attend the event had caused consternation in his party. Some party leaders had earlier downplayed Mukherjee’s decision, while leaders such as Jairam Ramesh, Ramesh Chennithala and CK Jaffer Sharief had urged him to reconsider his decision.
After the speech, however, the Congress said Mukherjee had shown the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh the “mirror of truth” with his speech.s
