INDORE/BHOPAL: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said she will not contest the 2019 general election due to health reasons. Senior party leaders said she would continue to be their guiding light."It's the party that decides (the candidature) but I have made up my mind not to contest the next Lok Sabha elections," Swaraj told mediapersons here. The 66-year-old added that she had undergone kidney transplant in December 2016 and the doctors have advised her to avoid dust."Following medical advice not go in the open and to avoid infections, I can visit foreign countries, but not campaign in Vidisha as most of the area is rural. Therefore, I have informed the high command of my wish not to contest the next Lok Sabha polls," the Union minister said.BJP state spokesperson Deepak Vijayavargiya said: "Sushma ji is a senior national leader working for the party for decades. She has announced not to contest elections on health grounds. We wish that she would continue to be a guiding force for the party workers for years to come."Replying to a question on 'MP has gone missing' posters being put up in her constituency, Swaraj said, "I won two Lok Sabha polls from Vidisha and during my first eight years, I was quite active as I used to visit all eight assembly constituencies every month."

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