He accused the Election Commission of exceeding its brief by suggesting BJP should not field him as a candidate in the election.
"We did not make Varun Gandhi a poster boy. It is the others who give publicity. Most of the time, our opponents have made him a poster boy," Advani said.
Advani attacked the Election Commission's suggestion that Gandhi should not be given nomination by BJP as the poll panel had found him guilty of making inflammatory speeches in his constituency Pilibhit.
"The case of Varun Gandhi got wide publicity as the Election Commission did something unprecedented. I was surprised. I support Varun because EC has done an illegal thing as the charge against him has not been proved," Advani said.
Without naming actor Sanjay Dutt, who is set to contest from Lucknow as Samajwadi Party candidate, he said "one who has been convicted is contesting from Lucknow but the Election Commission has not said anything."
Advani addressed election meetings for BJP candidates in Padrauna and Maharajganj areas of Uttar Pradesh.
Some of the locals raised slogans of ‘Varun Gandhi zindabad’ during Advani's speech.
Varun surrenders in Pilibhit, sent to judicial custody
In a bid to make political capital, Varun Gandhi surrendered on Saturday before a local court in connection with a case against him for hate speeches after which he was arrested and sent to judicial remand till Monday.
Amid high drama, Gandhi, who left his home in Delhi in the wee hours, arrived here to a tumultuous welcome from a large number of BJP workers and saffron activists who clashed with police violating prohibitory orders in force.
Lawyers of 29-year-old Gandhi against whom three cases have been filed for allegedly making inflammatory communal speeches during his election campaign, filed a surrender plea before Chief Judicial Magistrate Vipin Kumar.
"This is a conspiracy in which I have been framed. I have full faith in the law and in the judiciary. I believe in my principles and I am willing to fight for them... I am ready to go to jail," Gandhi after reaching the town from where he is making his electoral debut.
After the Allahabad High Court rejected his petition for quashing the FIR against him, Gandhi changed his strategy and did not seek for extension of bail granted by the Delhi High Court and preferred to court arrest.
