Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Wednesday that she has decided not to run for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. She mentioned that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had approached her to contest from either Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh, but she declined the offer.

Sitharaman's reason for not contesting Lok Sabha polls

"But I don't have that kind of money to contest, I also have a problem because whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu, there is also going to be a question of various winnability criteria that they use, are you from this community or from that religion. I said no I don't think I am going to be able to do it. The party was graceful enough and I am very grateful to accept my argument, and I am not contesting", the Union Finance Minister said.