Why did Pawan Singh decline BJP's Asansol Lok Sabha offer?

In a surprising turn of events, Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh, who was chosen by the BJP as their candidate for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, has announced his withdrawal from the electoral race. Expressing gratitude to the BJP leadership for the nomination, Pawan cited unspecified reasons for his decision.

Although he didn't specify the reason for his decision, his nomination faced criticism from the ruling TMC in West Bengal, which alleged that many of his songs were derogatory towards women, including those from the state.

TMC's Abhishek Banerjee shared Singh's post on X, commenting, "The unwavering spirit and power of the people of West Bengal."


TMC leader Santanu Sen accused the BJP of hypocrisy regarding women's empowerment, claiming they are actually anti-women.

"They are anti-women and anti-Bengali, which is why they nominated him. But facing public backlash, they were compelled to retract," he stated.

Asansol has a significant migrant population, and the BJP had hoped Singh would counter Shatrughan Sinha, the actor-politician who left the party in 2019.

The BJP apparently urged Singh to withdraw from the race to mitigate controversy, especially as the party has used the Sandeshkhali incident to target TMC leaders.

Numerous women in Sandeshkhali have accused suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates of sexual assault and land grabbing, leading to their arrests.

Recognized as a prominent figure in the Bhojpuri entertainment industry, Pawan Singh possesses a wide-ranging musical repertoire and is celebrated for hits such as ‘Raja Ji’, ‘Hari Hari Odhni’, and 'Pudina Ae Hasina'. His musical journey commenced with 'Odhaniya Wali' in 1997, but it was the release of 'Lollypop Lagelu' in 2008 that propelled him to stardom. This iconic track, which continues to dominate charts, earned him the prestigious Best Male Singer accolade at the International Bhojpuri Film Awards in 2016.