Pawan Singh Declines Lok Sabha Candidacy Amid Controversy Over Insulting Bengali Culture

Singh was initially among the four Bhojpuri celebrity candidates in the BJP's first list of 195 candidates.

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X: @the_news_21

Bhojpuri actor and singer Pawan Singh made headlines after he turned down his candidacy for the Lok Sabha elections from West Bengal’s Asansol constituency, just a day after the saffron party announced his nomination. The decision followed a wave of backlash accusing Singh of disrespecting Bengali songs and culture in his music clips.

Expressing his gratitude to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership, Singh took to Twitter, stating, “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 was initially among the four Bhojpuri celebrity candidates in the BJP’s first list of 195 candidates. Other Bhojpuri actors like Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kishan, and Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahua’ were declared candidates from various constituencies.

Criticism poured in swiftly after Singh’s candidacy was announced, with TMC leaders like Sagarika Ghose and Mahua Moitra slamming the BJP for fielding him. Ghose criticized Singh’s portrayal of Bengali women in a derogatory manner, questioning his suitability for parliamentary representation. Meanwhile, Moitra shared an old interview clip of Singh struggling to articulate his plans for his prospective constituents, raising doubts about his candidacy.

The controversy escalated further when Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi condemned the BJP for nominating Singh, expressing dismay over the content propagated by the Asansol Lok Sabha candidate.

Singh’s withdrawal from the race underscores the importance of cultural sensitivity and local context in political candidacies. The incident serves as a reminder for political parties to carefully vet their candidates to avoid potential controversies that could undermine their electoral prospects.

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