Initially named as the Lok Sabha candidate for Asansol by the BJP, Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh later declined the opportunity to run for the seat on 10th April.
After indicating his inability to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Asansol under the BJP banner, Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh revealed on Wednesday his decision to enter the electoral fray as an independent candidate from the Karakat parliamentary constituency in Bihar.
Pawan Singh conveyed on X in Hindi that the phrase “‘Mata Gurutara Bhumeru'” signifies the supremacy of a mother over the land, and he had made a commitment to his mother to contest the elections this time.
“I have made the decision to run in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Karakat, Bihar,” stated the Bhojpuri star.
Pawan Singh will be competing against Rajaram Singh of CPI(ML) Liberation, who is part of the RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the primary constituent of the grand alliance, will contest 23 Lok Sabha seats, with the Congress fielding candidates in nine constituencies, the Left in five, and Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) in three.
Initially nominated by the BJP for Asansol, Pawan Singh withdrew his candidacy a day later. Although he did not specify the reason for his withdrawal, his nomination faced criticism from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), alleging that some of his songs were crude and portrayed women, including those from Bengal, in a vulgar manner.
Singh reversed his decision and declared his intention to participate in the Lok Sabha elections, citing his commitment to his mother’s wishes. However, he did not specify the constituency or party under which he would contest.
“I am entering the electoral arena to honor the pledge I made to my mother, my community, and the people,” Singh stated on X. “I humbly request blessings and support from everyone.”
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has replaced Pawan Singh with BJP MP SS Ahluwalia. Ahluwalia is set to challenge the Trinamool Congress’s prominent candidate and party icon, Shatrughan Sinha, in Asansol, a key industrial center known for its coal reserves.
The reason he switched from BJP
TMC leader Santanu Sen criticized the BJP, alleging hypocrisy in their stance on women’s empowerment and asserting that they are, in reality, against women.
According to Sen, the BJP’s nomination of Pawan Singh reflects their anti-women and anti-Bengali stance. However, due to public criticism, they were forced to withdraw the nomination.
Pawan Singh : Influencer in Bhojpuri realm
Renowned for his significant contributions to the Bhojpuri entertainment realm, Pawan Singh stands out as a prominent figure with a diverse musical portfolio. His repertoire boasts a multitude of chart-topping hits including ‘Raja Ji’, ‘Hari Hari Odhni’, and ‘Pudina Ae Hasina’. Singh embarked on his musical journey in 1997 with the release of ‘Odhaniya Wali’, but it was his 2008 track ‘Lollypop Lagelu’ that catapulted him to superstardom. This iconic song, which maintains its stronghold on music charts, earned Singh the esteemed title of Best Male Singer at the International Bhojpuri Film Awards in 2016.
What happens to BJP’s seat in WB now?
The constituency has been without representation from the party since Singh declined to run in the area.
Previously, the BJP had made a change by replacing Ahluwalia, who was the party’s sitting MP for the Burdwan-Durgapur seat, with former state president Dilip Ghosh as the candidate for that particular constituency.
In a subsequent move, Ghosh was relocated from his previous winning seat in Medinipur to compete for his electoral prospects in Ahluwalia’s former constituency.
Karakat Bihar’s seat
Karakat is scheduled for voting during the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections, with the commencement of the nomination filing process expected in approximately a month. The decision of the Bhojpuri singer to enter the electoral arena is poised to shake up the political landscape, particularly for former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, who is a former MP from Karakat and has been allocated the seat by the NDA for his Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Kushwaha is anticipated to face significant competition, notably from the far-Left CPI(ML) Liberation, representing the INDIA bloc, which has nominated veteran peasant leader and former MLA Raja Ram Singh as its candidate for the seat.
Adding further complexity to the electoral dynamics, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM has announced its intention to contest in the central Bihar constituency.
