Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh's mother Pratima Devi filed a nomination from the Karakat Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate on Tuesday -- the last day for filing the nomination. This is the same seat from where her son has already filed his nomination as an independent candidate. So it would be a mother versus son if neither of them withdraws their nomination before the seat goes to the polls on June 1.
According to reports, Pratima Devi filed the nomination because Pawan might have to withdraw from the contest to save himself from any disciplinary action that the BJP can take against him for contesting against NDA candidate Upendra Kushwaha from the seat.
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Pawan Singh was nominated as the BJP candidate from West Bengal's Asansol. After facing flak for his misogynistic songs, he said that he would not contest from Asansol. Instead, he would contest from Karakat in Bihar, his home state -- but as an independent candidate, he announced.
"I express my heartfelt gratitude to the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The party trusted me and declared me the candidate from Asansol but due to certain reasons, I will not be able to contest the election from Asansol," Pawan Singh posted.
{{/usCountry}}"I express my heartfelt gratitude to the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The party trusted me and declared me the candidate from Asansol but due to certain reasons, I will not be able to contest the election from Asansol," Pawan Singh posted.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP fielded former Union minister SS Ahluwalia from Asansol and advised Pawan Singh against contest against the NDA candidate from Karakat.
Now the entry of his mother into the fray triggers confusion and speculations over whether the Bhojpuri star will withdraw his nomination. Pawan Singh, in his nomination, declared movable assets worth ₹5.04 crore and immovable properties worth ₹11.70 crore. Singh's movable assets include five bank accounts, three four-wheelers, a motorcycle worth ₹1.39 crore and jewellery worth ₹31.09 lakh and he has ₹60,000 cash in hand. His income for the year 2022-2023 was ₹51.58 lakh. Non-agricultural land in Arrah and Patna, two commercial properties in Arrah worth ₹4.16 crore, and five residential properties in Mumbai and Lucknow worth ₹6.45 crore are among his immovable properties, according to the affidavit.
(With PTI inputs)