New Delhi: Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh held a meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda in New Delhi on Monday. Singh had requested the meeting with Nadda after 11:30 am. This development came a day after the Bhojpuri star declined to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from the Asansol seat, despite being named in the BJP's initial list of 195 candidates.
Taking to his official social media handle, the singer confirmed his decision to withdraw from the contest, citing "personal reasons." Although he did not elaborate on the specifics of his decision, Singh's nomination had faced criticism from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which objected to some of his songs for their alleged vulgarity and derogatory portrayal of women.
Asansol constituency holds significant importance due to its substantial migrant population, and the BJP had hoped that Singh's candidacy would pose a strong challenge to Trinamool's incumbent MP Babul Supriyo.
Reports suggest that the BJP encouraged Singh to step back from the electoral race to quell the controversy surrounding his nomination, especially amid the party's focus on issues such as the Sandeshkhali incident, where several women accused suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates of sexual assault and land grabbing.
Former BJP MP from Asansol and current TMC minister, Babul Supriyo, questioned the BJP's decision to nominate Singh without consulting him and alleged "pressure" from the party as the reason for Singh's withdrawal from the contest.
In other news, the BJP announced its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday, featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will contest again from Varanasi. The list also includes prominent leaders such as Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Smriti Irani, along with former chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Biplab Deb, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who will contest again from Kota in Rajasthan.
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