‘More To Life Than Politics’: Congress Leader Priya Dutt Takes Political Break, Won’t Contest 2019 Lok Sabha Polls

Former parliamentarian from Mumbai Priya Dutt has announced that she will not contest in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections and wants to take a break from politics, reports The Tribune.

Dutt, daughter of late Bollywood actors Sunil Dutt, Nargis and sister of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, has refuted rumours of her contesting elections after she was recently dropped as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary. She said that she had a discussion with Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the issue a couple of months back.

Dutt contested from the Mumbai North-Central Lok Sabha constituency and won it in 2004, 2009 but lost the 2014 elections.

"When I agreed to enter electoral politics in 2005, I was clear that I would contest three terms and step out for a while. There is more to life than politics, and I also wanted the freedom to experience and explore other aspects of my life." Dutt was quoted in the report as saying.

Over her father also contesting from the constituency, Dutt says that the it never belonged to any one person but its people. ‘We come in and are chosen by the people as caretakers and must give an opportunity for fresh and new ideas," she added.

She said that disagreements with her fellow Congress colleagues were never personal. She reportedly promised to work for party and its appointed candidate, and added she won’t support anyone whom her conscience does not permit.