Former Union Minister and MP Jayant Sinha expressed his surprise at receiving a show cause notice from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), questioning why he didn't participate in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and abstained from election campaigning. In response to a letter from BJP's Jharkhand general secretary Aditya Sahu, Sinha clarified that he voted via postal ballot as he was overseas for "personal commitments".
"I was very surprised to receive your letter and discover that you have released it to the media as well. Firstly, I would like to remind you of my discussions with our party president, Shri JP Nadda ji. On 2 March 2024, well ahead of the elections, I communicated my decision to step back from electoral responsibilities to focus on combating issues arising from global climate change. This decision was publicly announced via a tweet for clarity and transparency," the Hazaribagh MP stated in a two-page letter to Sahu.
Sinha's response to Sahu's accusation
In response to Sahu's accusation that he has been absent from "organizational work and election campaigning" since Manish Jaiswal was declared a candidate for the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat, Sinha clarified that he was not extended invitations to "any party events, rallies, or organizational meetings". "The party announced Shri Manish Jaiswal ji as its candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. My endorsement was evident when I congratulated Shri Jaiswal ji on March 8, 2024, an event that was well-documented on social media and demonstrated my unwavering support for the party's choice," Sinha said.
"If the part wanted me to participate in any election activities, you could surely have contacted me. However, not a single senior party official or MP/MLA from Jharkhand reached out to me. I was not invited to any party events, rallies, or organizational meetings," he added.
Sinha urged Nadda to release him from his 'direct electoral duties'
Sinha, who had announced in March that he wouldn't contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, also mentioned that he had formally requested BJP national president JP Nadda to release him from his "direct electoral duties". "I withdrew from the Lok Sabha elections on March 2. After consulting with Shri Nadda ji and getting his explicit approval, I made it clear publicly that I was not going to be involved in these elections. I am happy to support the party on economic and governance policies and have continued to do so," Sinha stated.
BJP issues notice to Sinha on May 20
Sinha, who has been a part of the BJP for over 25 years, emphasised that his "development and organizational efforts in Hazaribagh have received widespread appreciation," as evidenced by his "record-setting" victories in the 2014 and 2019 general elections. Earlier on May 20, the BJP slapped a show cause notice on former Union Minister Jayant Sinha for not taking part in campaigning after Manish Jaiswal was declared candidate from the Hazaribag Lok Sabha seat and thereby "maligning" the party's image. Sinha, son of former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, is the sitting MP of Hazaribagh.
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