"Cannot Say Anything About It," BJP MP Nirahua On Bhojpuri Actor Pawan Singh Contesting LS Polls From Asansol

Asansol (West Bengal) [India] : Responding to whether Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh will contest the Lok Sabha election from Asansol, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua) on Friday said that he cannot say anything on this issue adding that it is the decision of the party.

Pawan Singh, who had expressed his inability to contest the Lok Sabha elections from West Bengal's Asansol just a day after the BJP announced his name for the constituency, took a u-turn on Wednesday stating that he will fight the elections.

"The party decides it (Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh to contest the elections from Asansol), I cannot say anything about it," the BJP leader said responding to a question whether Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh will contest Lok Sabha election from Asansol, West Bengal, on BJP ticket.

Nirahua further said that they have come to Asansol for BJP's programme.

In a post on X on March 13, Pawan sought people's blessing and cooperation.
"I will contest elections to fulfil the promise made to my society, people, and mother. Your blessings and cooperation are expected. 'Jai Mata Di," he said on X.

However, the Bhojpuri singer has not yet announced the constituency and the party from which he will fight the elections. TMC leader Shatrughan Sinha is contesting from Asansol, a seat he had won earlier in 2022 bypoll.

Earlier, Pawan Singh withdrew from the race for the Lok Sabha on March 3.

Taking to his official handle on X, the singer confirmed that he was pulling out of the contest "due to some reason".

"I express my heartfelt gratitude to the top leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party. The party trusted me and declared me as the candidate from West Bengal's Asansol but due to some reason, I will not be able to contest the elections from Asansol," Singh posted from his X handle on Sunday.

Adding to the intrigue around his decision to stand down from the contest, the national general secretary of the ruling Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tagged the Bhojpuri singer's post with a comment reading, "The indomitable spirit and power of the people of West Bengal."

In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the TMC won 22 seats while the BJP sprung a major surprise, winning 18 seats.

The Congress won the remaining two seats. In 2019, the BJP-led National Democratic (NDA) won a total of 303 seats, leaving the grand-old party behind at 52 seats.

The Lok Sabha polls are slated to be held in April-May this year.