• Source:JND
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Bhojpuri actor-singer Pawan Singh, who withdrew from the race for the Lok Sabha on Monday said that "time would tell" if he would contest in the upcoming polls. He had withdrawn his name only a day after being named the BJP's candidate from Bengal's Asansol constituency.

Speaking to the media following a meeting with BJP president JP Nadda, Singh evaded questions on what made him take the decision.

"I talked to the party president. Whatever happens in the future will be good," Singh told media after meeting Nadda.

Responding to whether he would be contesting in the upcoming elections, he said, "That only time would tell. I will share it with you if something happens. Keep it on hold for now."

He, however, refused to reply to questions on what prompted him to make the decision.

"It's a matter of time (samay samay ki baat hai)," he said.

Earlier on Sunday, 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."

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.