"Made A Difficult Decision": General VK Singh Won't Contest 2024 Polls

Union minister and BJP MP from Ghaziabad Gen (retd) V K Singh on Sunday said he will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and also for Road Transport and Highways represented the Ghaziabad constituency for two terms since 2014.

"I have dedicated my entire life to the service of this nation as a soldier. For the last 10 years, I have worked tirelessly to fulfill the dream of making Ghaziabad a world-class city. In this journey, I am grateful for the trust and love that I have received from the people of the country and Ghaziabad as well as from the members of the BJP. This emotional bond is priceless to me," Mr Singh posted in Hindi on X.

मैंने सैनिक के रूप में इस राष्ट्र की सेवा में अपना सारा जीवन समर्पित किया है। पिछले 10 वर्षों से, मैंने गाजियाबाद को एक विश्व स्तरीय शहर बनाने के सपने को पूरा करने के लिए अथक परिश्रम किया है। इस यात्रा में, देश और गाजियाबाद के नागरिकों के साथ-साथ भाजपा के सदस्यों का जो विश्वास और…

"With these feelings, I have made a difficult, but thoughtful decision. I will not contest the 2024 elections. This decision was not easy for me, but I have taken it from the bottom of my heart. I want to take my energy and time in new directions, where I can serve my country in a different way," Mr Singh added.

Further in the same post, he thanked people for their support and faith in him, saying he would continue his service towards the country and all the citizens, "just in a new form", Mr Singh tagged PM Narendra Modi, BJP president J P Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the prime minister's office (PMO) in his social media post.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)