Kolkata: Bhojpuri actor-singer Pawan Singh, who earlier withdrew from BJP candidature from Asansol in West Bengal following a controversy over his 'disrespectful' comment on Bengali women in a poll video, took a U-turn confirming his intent to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh wrote in X, “I will contest elections to fulfill the promise made to the people and my mother. I seek your blessings and cooperation. Jai Mata Di,” the actor said in a social post on X.
According to sources, Pawan Singh wishes to contest from his home district Ara in Bihar. Union Energy Minister RK Singh is the current MP from here and the ticket is considered almost confirmed for him. In that case, Pawan Singh might switch loyalties to Rashtriya Janata Dal(RJD) for a ticket from Ara.
Earlier, TMC candidate and journalist Sagarika Ghose pointed out that several songs sung by the Bhojpuri star made ‘lewd and uncivilised’ remarks about Bengali women.
Singh whose name featured in the first list of 195 candidates announced by the BJP, despite expressing his gratitude to the BJP, opted to stay away after the row surfaced. "I express my heartfelt gratitude to the top leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party. The party trusted me and declared me the candidate from Asansol but due to some personal reason, I will not be able to contest the election from Asansol," he had wrote.
Veteran Bollywood actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha of the Trinamool Congress will contest from the same seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. When asked to comment on Pawan Singh's earlier decision, Sinha termed the matter as the BJP's internal affair. Known as 'power star' in the Bhojpuri film industry, Singh had joined the BJP in 2014.
Read More
