BJP Asansol candidate Pawan Singh pulls out of LS race; Babul Supriyo claims he withdrew at party's behest

Asansol [West Bengal]: In a poll twist that few saw coming, a day after being named the BJP's candidate from Bengal's Asansol constituency; popular Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh withdrew from the race for the Lok Sabha.

Taking to his official handle on X, the singer confirmed that he was pulling out of the contest "due to some reason".

"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 posted from his X handle on Sunday.

Adding to the intrigue around his decision to stand down from the contest, the national general secretary of the ruling Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tagged the Bhojpuri singer's post with a comment reading, "The indomitable spirit and power of the people of West Bengal."

However, speaking to ANI on Sunday, TMC minister Babul Supriyo, who is a native of Asansol, responded to Singh's withdrawal from the contest, questioned the BJP's choice of a candidate, who could potentially offend the sensibilities of the local population.

Alleging an obscene portrayal of women in his music videos and films, the TMC leader, who represented Asansol in the Lok Sabha during his time with the BJP, said, "I have nothing against him or his place or following as an artiste. However, in his music videos and films, Bengali women are portrayed in a certain manner that might offend the sensibilities of voters. How can the BJP field such a person from Asansol? It is clear he was asked to post about his withdrawal from the race. However, it is hard to believe that the BJP fielded him from Asansol without running a necessary background check and gathering details about him. It also seems implausible that they put on the ticket without seeking his consent."

Setting the pace ahead of its rivals, the BJP, on Saturday, released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The list included 47 youth candidates, 28 women candidates, 27 Scheduled Caste (SC) faces, 18 Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and 57 OBC/Backward Class nominees.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a third straight term in the Lower House from Varanasi while Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who joined the BJP from the Congress in 2020, will contest from Guna in Madhya Pradesh.

Of the 195 candidates, 34 are ministers from the Center and States, while two are former chief ministers who are on the list.

Home Minister Amit Shah will contest from Gandhinagar, while Mansukh Mandaviya will contest Porbandar.

BJP leader Manoj Tiwari will contest from North-East Delhi while late BJP stalwart and former Union Minister, Sushma Swaraj's daughter, Bansuri Swaraj, will contest from New Delhi.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will seek a fresh term in the Lok Sabha from Lucknow while his colleague in the central cabinet, Smriti Irani, will again contest Amethi.

Earlier in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi secured a victory in Varanasi with 6,74,664 against Congress's Ajay Rai.

The BJP-led National Democratic Party (NDA) won a total of 303 seats, leaving the grand-old party behind at 52 seats.

The Lok Sabha polls are slated to be held in April-May this year.