Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh, who had been designated as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate from West Bengal's Asansol, utilized platform X on Sunday to convey his regret regarding his inability to participate in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a tweet, he conveyed his deep appreciation to the BJP's top leadership for entrusting him with the candidacy from Asansol. However, he cited "some reason" that precludes his ability to contest the elections from that constituency.
Following his announcement, Trinamool Congress leaders swiftly criticized Pawan Singh's decision. TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee hailed the resilience and vigor of the people of West Bengal in his tweet.
Furthermore, newly elected Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose attributed Pawan Singh's withdrawal to the backlash he faced over what she described as "sexist misogynist videos".
Amidst this political maneuvering, Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien characterized the situation as indicative of the ongoing political battle in West Bengal.
The selection of the 38-year-old Bhojpuri singer sparked considerable controversy, particularly due to scrutiny of his music which contained inappropriate references to Bengali women.
Meanwhile, Pawan Singh joins the ranks of BJP leaders who have opted out of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, including Jharkhand's Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha and East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir.
Sinha, in his announcement on Saturday, appealed to BJP National President JP Nadda to relieve him of his political responsibilities, citing his intention to focus on combating "global climate change" both in India and worldwide. Similarly, Gambhir also made a plea to Nadda, citing his forthcoming cricket commitments.
Notably, the Asansol seat is currently held by Bollywood legend Shatrugan Sinha, who represents the Trinamool Congress.
