KOLKATA: Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh, who was nominated as BJP candidate for Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in Bengal, decided to withdraw his candidacy within 24 hours of the announcement, following relentless attacks from Trinamool Congress and rumblings within BJP’s state unit over his “misogynistic music videos, objectifying and denigrating Bengali women”.
Singh took to his official social media handle to express his gratitude to the BJP leadership but stated that due to unspecified reasons, he would not be contesting the LS elections from Asansol, which has a significantly large Hindi-speaking electorate.
His nomination had surprised many in the political arena, given his popularity for songs like “Lollypop Lageli” and “Raja Ji”. The controversy surrounding Singh’s nomination erupted after TMC leaders and other parties criticised his songs, labelling them as “misogynistic”.
Opposition also emerged from within BJP ranks, with some workers vocal against Singh’s selection over other contenders like Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Paul and former Asansol MLA Jitendra Tiwari.

Former Asansol MP Babul Supriyo, who was with BJP before switching to TMC, was the first to protest Singh’s nomination, highlighting the disrespectful portrayal of Bengali women in his songs. The backlash intensified on social media, with Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi posting that the “doomsday of democracy is quite near!”
Amidst the controversy, former Tripura governor Tathagata Roy urged the party leadership to “rethink” Singh’s candidacy. BJP leaders sought not to provide TMC with an issue that could resonate beyond Asansol, sources said.
Bengal BJP minder Amit Malviya initially defended the nomination, claiming “TMC leaders denigrate a popular Bhojpuri artist for his body of work” and asking to respect “those who work for a living”. Later, he reposted Singh’s tweet, declaring his intention to drop out.
Following Singh’s withdrawal, BJP released a revised list of candidates, excluding the popular singer’s name from Asansol constituency.
In response to Singh’s retreat, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee hailed the spirit of the people of Bengal. TMC leaders criticised BJP for nominating Singh, with Rajya Sabha MP Susmita Dev calling it the party’s “first self-goal” in Bengal.