Pawan Singh Declines Election Run, Calls Himself BJP’s ‘True Soldier’

Bhojpuri sensation Pawan Singh, the chart-topping singer-actor who's as comfortable belting out rustic hits as navigating political spotlights, dropped a bombshell on Saturday: He's bowing out of the Bihar Assembly elections, vowing to stay a steadfast "soldier" for the BJP rather than chase a ticket. The announcement, shared via a candid X post complete with a selfie alongside Union Home Minister Amit Shah, comes amid feverish speculation that Singh was eyeing a run from Bhojpur district's Ara or Barhara seats—hotbeds of his fanbase where his star power could swing votes for the NDA.

"I, Pawan Singh, want to inform my Bhojpuri community that I did not join the party (BJP) to contest the Bihar assembly elections...nor do I want to contest the assembly elections. I am a true soldier of the party and will remain so," he declared, quashing rumors fueled by his recent huddles with heavyweights like Shah and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha. Those meetings, just last month, had tongues wagging about a potential poll plunge, especially after Singh's splashy entry into the BJP earlier this year. But the 39-year-old, hailing from a Rajput stronghold in Bihar, insists his political foray is about grassroots grit, not glamour-shot campaigns.

This isn't Singh's first tango with the ballot box. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he threw his hat in as an independent from Karakat, only to taste defeat against CPI(ML) Liberation's Raja Ram Kushwaha. That stinging loss—despite his massive pull in Bhojpuri heartlands—might have soured the appetite for another electoral rodeo. Back then, the BJP had even floated his name for West Bengal's Asansol but yanked it amid backlash over his music videos, slammed for objectifying women. Singh's pivot to "soldier" mode signals a smarter play: Rallying crowds at rallies, not risking another high-stakes showdown in Bihar's cutthroat two-phase polls set for November 6 and 11.

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Yet, timing is everything, and Singh's sidestep lands amid a personal maelstrom that's tabloid gold. Just a day prior, his wife Jyoti Singh huddled with political maestro Prashant Kishor in Patna, sparking whispers she might snag a Jan Suraaj ticket for the assembly fray. Kishor shut that down quick: "Jyoti ji came to explain the difficulties she's facing—contesting or tickets aren't on her mind." But the couple's saga reads like a Bhojpuri blockbuster gone wrong. Their divorce battle has dragged for 3-4 years, laced with infidelity accusations from Jyoti and counter-claims from Pawan that she's angling for political leverage.

The drama peaked recently at Pawan's Lucknow flat, where Jyoti showed up unannounced. After a tense 90-minute chat, he bolted, leaving her behind. Cops swarmed the scene, and Jyoti went live on video, tearfully alleging harassment and eviction threats. Pawan fired back online, dismissing it as a "preventive" police call and questioning her motives: "Would I hurt those who lifted me up?" He even hinted the affection display was a publicity ploy. Adding spice, Jyoti's earlier plea to contest Karakat—claiming Pawan had ghosted the area post-loss—hints at deeper rifts bleeding into politics.

For the BJP, Singh's loyalty pledge is a win in NDA's Bihar chess game. With 80 MLAs in the 243-seat assembly, the saffron brigade eyes a stronger haul against Tejashwi Yadav's RJD-led INDIA bloc. Singh's star wattage—think sold-out concerts and 20 million-plus social followers—could amplify campaign anthems without the mess of a candidate flop. Party insiders buzz that his Bhojpur roots might still net him a behind-the-scenes role, perhaps stumping for allies like Kushwaha's RLM.

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