Pawan Singh meets Upendra Kushwaha in Delhi, likely to rejoin BJP

Patna, Sep 30 (IANS) Popular Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh on Tuesday met Rajya Sabha member and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha in Delhi, where the latter blessed him and welcomed his decision to work for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The meeting is seen as a significant reconciliation, as Kushwaha had suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha elections partly due to Pawan Singh's independent candidature.

Their apparent truce is being viewed as a major relief for the BJP, which aims to consolidate support among both the Rajput and Kushwaha communities ahead of the Bihar polls.

On Singh rejoining the party, BJP Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde confirmed Singh's induction, saying, "Pawan Singh is in the BJP and will remain so. Upendra Kushwaha has blessed him. He will actively work for the NDA in the upcoming elections."

BJP leader Rituraj Sinha was also present during the meeting.

Pawan Singh, often referred to as the Power Star of Bhojpuri cinema, is expected to formally rejoin the BJP in the first week of October.

Party strategists believe Singh's massive fan following across Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh will give the BJP a strong edge in the coming Assembly elections.

Pawan Singh's independent run from the Karakat Lok Sabha seat in 2024 was widely blamed for Kushwaha's defeat, despite him being the NDA candidate.

Singh's move had split votes, and the fallout was felt beyond Karakat - Rajput voter anger over Singh's earlier treatment was cited as a factor in the NDA's loss in Pataliputra, Ara, Buxar, Sasaram, Aurangabad, Karakat, and Jehanabad.

In 2024, the BJP had given Singh a Lok Sabha ticket from Asansol (West Bengal), but Singh declined the nomination, claiming he was pressured to accept it.

His subsequent independent candidature in Karakat deepened rifts within the NDA, particularly with Rajput voters, who saw his "sidelining" as an insult.

--IANS

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