In light of a prior commotion over disparaging remarks directed towards Bengali women in a campaign video, Bhojpuri thespian-vocalist Pawan Singh, who withdrew from the BJP’s candidacy in Asansol, West Bengal, has reversed his decision, affirming his intent to vie in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a missive shared on X, Bhojpuri luminary Pawan Singh articulated, “I am committed to contesting elections to uphold my pledge to the electorate and my progenitor. I implore your benedictions and collaboration. Jai Mata Di,” the actor conveyed in a social media post on X.
Reports suggest that Pawan Singh harbors aspirations to vie from his native precinct, Ara, in Bihar. The incumbent MP here is Union Energy Minister RK Singh, and it’s widely speculated that the nomination is virtually assured for him. In such an eventuality, Pawan Singh might realign his allegiance to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in pursuit of a nomination from Ara.
Earlier, TMC nominee and scribe Sagarika Ghose highlighted that several tunes crooned by the Bhojpuri luminary contained “indecent and boorish” references about Bengali women.
Despite expressing gratitude towards the BJP for his inclusion in the initial roster of 195 contenders, Singh chose to step aside following the eruption of controversy. “I extend my profound gratitude to the apex leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The party vested their trust in me and nominated me as the candidate from Asansol, but owing to personal considerations, I am unable to contest from Asansol,” he had penned.
Veteran Bollywood thespian and political figure Shatrughan Sinha, representing the Trinamool Congress, will vie for the same constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. When queried about Pawan Singh’s earlier volte-face, Sinha dismissed it as an internal matter of the BJP. Recognized as the ‘power star’ in the Bhojpuri cinematic domain, Singh had aligned with the BJP back in 2014.