As the Lok Sabha elections draw close, political leaders begin to stake their claims on choice seats in hopes that the party bosses would acquiesce to their desire. Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Raj Kumar Singh seems to be doing the same, as he announced his intent to contest from Arrah Lok Sabha seats for the third consecutive time.
On September 24, Mr. Singh made a statement in Patna claiming he would contest 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Arrah seat. He also rejected rumours about the possibility of him being made Governor.
“How could anyone else make a decision on me? I will make a decision for myself, why would I contest the election from any other seat? Rumours are being spread about me, that I am leaving the seat and becoming Governor but it’s not true. I will contest Lok Sabha from Arrah only,” Mr. Singh said.
A former IAS officer, Mr. Singh joined the BJP in 2013 and contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Arrah and had defeated RJD candidate Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha. The BJP allowed him to contest once more in during the 2019 Lok Sabha election and he retained the seat by defeating the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) candidate Raju Yadav. Mr. Singh was part of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet at the Centre through both election wins.
In 2019, Janata Dal (United) was part of the National Democratic Alliance, which gave an edge to the BJP on the Arrah seat. However, in the current scenario, with Rashtriya Janata Dal, the JD(U), the Congress and the Left parties contesting the election together, the chances of Mr. Singh retaining the seat looks thin.
A senior BJP leader of Bihar requesting anonymity told The Hindu, “Self-proclamation by Mr. Singh to contest again from Arrah seat shows the frustration. He has likely gotten the intimation that the party would not be repeating him for a third term. The BJP is a cadre-based party in which individuals never take any decision, especially while contesting elections. The party high-command will take the final call who will contest the election from which seat.”
It was suggested that popular Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh, who is native to Arrah, was being mulled as a replacement for Mr. Singh.
As with Mr. Singh, the Bhojpuri star hails from the Rajput community, and six months ago had had said that if the BJP would give him a ticket from Arrah, he would contest the Lok Sabha election.
A few months ago, Mr. Pawan Singh met senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and Bihar BJP in-charge Vinod Tawde. As the national general secretary of the party, Mr. Tawde has already convened meetings with the party leaders in Arrah to take the feedback on the Parliamentary constituency.
Mr. Pawan Singh is also well placed since other Bhojpuri actors and singers having already made their mark by winning seats on a BJP ticket. This includes Ravi Kishan from Gorakhpur, Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi and Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirahua from Azamgarh MP.
RJD MLA Sudhakar Singh, the son of RJD State unit president Jagdanand Singh, is yet another Rajput leader, who is being seen as probable candidate from Arrah. His vocal opposition to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had cost him his Ministerial berth, and his discontentment with his party is well known.
