Pawan Singh, the Bhojpuri singer and actor, had initially been offered a ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal. However, Singh opted out citing his inability to contend from Asansol. Now, he has proclaimed his entry into the electoral fray from the Karakat seat in Bihar.
The Karakat seat has fallen under the purview of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), specifically to the Rashtriya Lok Marcha (RLM). Upendra Kushwaha, the RLM leader, is himself in the electoral battleground. With the entry of Bhojpuri cinema's 'Power Star,' Pawan Singh, the question arises: whose game will he disrupt?
Whose chances will Pawan Singh disrupt?
With his significant clout in the Bhojpuri music and film industry, Pawan Singh could sway the electoral math in his favor in the Karakat constituency. This area boasts approximately 3 million upper caste and 2.5 million Kushwaha-Kurmi voters. Among the upper castes, Rajputs—the community to which Singh belongs—have the most substantial presence with about 200,000 voters.
Some see Singh's entry in the Karakat seat as a blow to the NDA, while others believe it will not markedly affect the election's outcome. Senior journalist Om Prakash Ashk claims that the BJP has traditionally garnered support from the Rajput community, which Singh represents. If upper caste voters shift their allegiance to Singh, Upendra Kushwaha might suffer a direct impact.
Candidates from both alliances in the fray
Kushwaha is contesting as the NDA's RLM candidate, while the CPI (ML) has fielded Raja Ram Singh Kushwaha as the candidate from the India Block coalition. Both alliances present Kushwaha candidates. In this battle, the roles of upper caste, non-Koiri OBC, Dalit, and Mahadalit voters have become decisive. The entry of a Rajput candidate has turned the contest into a triangular one.
Read also: Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh to fight from Karakat... Will challenge BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha
The voting pattern of castes in Bihar
In Bihar's population, the upper caste share is 15.52 percent. According to Lokniti-CSDS, in the 2019 general election, 65 percent of the upper caste electorate voted for the NDA. The NDA secured 54 percent of upper caste votes in the 2020 Bihar elections. Caste has consistently been a significant factor in Bihar's electoral politics, and if it continues to be so, the battles for the seat could intensify for both the NDA and the India Block. Pawan Singh enjoys popularity across castes and classes and is likely to receive broad-based support.
