 "Jayant Sinha 'surprised' by BJP notice; says he voted via postal ballot")
Lok Sabha MP Jayant Sinha has said he is "surprised" to receive a notice from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly not voting or participating in election campaigning. In a letter shared on his social media accounts, Sinha said that he had voted through postal ballot and had not been "invited" to any party events.
In a letter dated Monday, 20 May, BJP General Secretary Aditya Sahu criticised Sinha for not casting his vote, stating that his actions had tarnished the image of the BJP. The letter accused Sinha of disengaging from party activities and election campaigning since the announcement of Jaiswal’s candidacy.
Sinha represents Hazaribagh, a constituency once held by his father. He had earlier expressed his desire to step back from electoral duties to focus on combating global climate change.
"I was very surprised to receive your letter and discover that you have released it to the media as well," Sinha wrote in his two-page letter to Sahu. He clarified that he voted via postal ballot as he was overseas for personal commitments. He said that he was not invited to any BJP events, rallies, or organisational meetings. Sinha pointed out that he had publicly endorsed Jaiswal’s candidacy on social media, demonstrating his support for the party’s decision.
“Ever since the party has declared Manish Jaiswal as its candidate from Hazaribagh, you are neither taking interest in election campaigning nor in organizational work. Despite this, you did not consider it appropriate to exercise your right to vote in this great festival of democracy. The image of the party has been tarnished by this attitude of yours. As per the instructions of State President Babulal Marandi, you are requested to give clarification in this regard within two days,” Sinha said.
"If the party wanted me to participate in any election activities, you could surely have contacted me. However, not a single senior party official or MP/MLA from Jharkhand reached out to me. I was not invited to any party events, rallies, or organisational meetings," he added.
Jayant Sinha asked to be relieved of electoral duties
The controversy began on 2 March when Sinha posted on X (formerly Twitter), requesting BJP chief JP Nadda to relieve him of direct electoral duties to focus on climate change efforts.
Hours later, the BJP announced Manish Jaiswal as its candidate for the Hazaribagh seat. Sinha's absence from the campaign trail and his recent failure to vote in the elections prompted the BJP to issue the show cause notice.
The letter from Sahu, demanded a clarification from Sinha within two days. It emphasised that Sinha’s lack of participation had negatively impacted the party’s image during the critical election period.
This letter also came after Sinha’s son, Aashir Sinha, joined the state Congress, further intensifying the situation.
Jayant Sinha had secured the Hazaribagh seat in the 2019 elections by a significant margin of 479,000 votes, defeating Congress candidate Gopal Sahu. As the BJP navigates this internal conflict, the upcoming financial results from major companies such as IndiGo, ITC, and Fortis Healthcare are expected to shift the market focus.