Bhojpuri actor-singer Pawan Singh, who was announced as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) candidate from West Bengal’s Asansol parliamentary seat, decided not to contest the upcoming general elections after facing backlash for allegedly objectifying Bengali women in his songs. Singh’s announcement came after criticism both from political rivals and within the party itself. The seat was previously held by Babul Supriyo and Singh was up against TMC’s Shatrugan Sinha. Despite the controversy, Singh expressed gratitude to the BJP for nominating him, but cited reasons for not being able to contest the elections from Asansol.
Singh’s candidacy met with criticism not only from rivals but also from within the party, with leaders like former Meghalaya governor Tathagatha Roy asking the party to reconsider its decision. BJP’s IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya defended the party’s choice, mentioning that Singh was denigrated for his work, while hinting at some TMC leaders having questionable personal conduct. West Bengal has 42 parliamentary seats, of which BJP won 18 in the 2019 general election. A resident of Bihar, Singh joined the BJP in 2021 and is popular in Bihar.
Asansol, a Tier-II city and the second largest in West Bengal, has a diverse electorate comprising of factory workers, miners, minorities, and Hindi-speaking population with roots in Jharkhand and Bihar. After Singh’s candidature was announced, backlash followed from TMC leaders, with Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale stating that BJP had already “surrendered” one seat. TMC leader Derek O’Brien also criticized BJP for fielding Singh, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi “anti-Bengali” for supporting someone who allegedly vilified Bengali women.
Former Asansol MP Babul Supriyo and senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi also condemned Singh’s candidacy, with Supriyo sharing screenshots of Singh’s Bhojpuri music videos that were deemed disrespectful towards Bengali women. TMC’s current MP Shatrughan Sinha refrained from commenting on the controversy but expressed confidence in his party’s victory. Despite the controversy, Singh decided not to contest the elections from Asansol, expressing gratitude to the BJP for nominating him but citing reasons for withdrawing his candidacy.