The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday expelled Bhojpuri playback singer-cum-actor Pawan Singh for contesting the Lok Sabha elections 2024 as an Independent candidate against the NDA’s Upendra Kushwaha (Rashtriya Lok Samta Party) from the Karakat parliamentary constituency.
Singh was earlier given a ticket by the BJP from West Bengal’s Asansol against TMC’s Shatrughan Sinha. However, he refused to contest from the West Bengal constituency and filed his nomination papers from the Karakat seat.
“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…,” he had written on ‘X’ without specifying the reasons.
His decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections against the NDA candidate embarrassed the BJP and drew sharp criticism from the party leaders.
Union Minister RK Singh had demanded his suspension from the party if he didn’t withdraw his nomination papers from the Karakat seat.
Singh had also clarified that if the Bhojpuri singer decides to contest the elections from Karakat, Upendra Kushwaha will be PM Narendra Modi led NDA’s nominee from the seat.