 "BJP expels Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh for contesting against NDA candidate")
The Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday expelled Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh for his move to contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024 independently against the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) official candidate in the Karakat constituency.
Despite being associated with the BJP, Pawan Singh’s decision to contest the Karakat Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate caught many by surprise. The singer-turned-politician, previously speculated to be seeking a ticket from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), eventually chose an independent path.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, Pawan Singh articulated his vision for Karakat, affirming his commitment to development. “There will only be development. There won’t be any noise. We will give a new dawn to Karakat,” he said.
Notably, Pawan Singh’s mother, Pratima Devi, had initially entered the electoral fray from the same Karakat constituency but later withdrew her candidature. The Election Commission of India (ECI) validated Pratima Devi’s withdrawal, confirming her decision to step back from the electoral contest on May 14.
Rumours swirled that Pratima Devi´s entry into the race was at the behest of her son, who feared rejection of his own nomination.
Meanwhile, Pawan Singh’s decision to contest against the NDA nominee drew criticism from some BJP leaders, including union minister RK Singh, who is seeking re-election from the neighbouring Arrah Lok Sabha seat.
“Either he should announce that he would not contest polls against the NDA nominee from Karakat or he should be suspended from the primary membership of the BJP. If he fights elections from Karakat, his suspension from the party will be the appropriate decision. Upendra Kushwa is the NDA candidate, who is Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's nominee,” RK Singh had earlier said. Polling in Karakat will be held in the seventh phase on June 1 (Saturday).