Finance Minister does not have money to contest LS Elections

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that she would not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as she does not have that kind of money.

Speaking in an interview with Times Now correspondent, she said that BJP had offered her an opportunity to contest for the upcoming elections. After thinking for over a week or 10 days, I went back and told the party president that I would not, she said.

The party president asked me to contest from the South and gave me a choice to contest either from Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. “It is not just money, there are some other winnability criteria like religion and community and I felt I could not do it.”

She said that the BJP was graceful in offering her an opportunity and that she was grateful for that. “After hearing my argument, they too were convinced and accepted my decision,” she said.