Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha contender Upendra Singh Rawat declared on Monday that he would refrain from participating in any elections until proven innocent in a case where an alleged ‘indecent’ video featuring him, was circulated widely on social media platforms. Rawat, the incumbent representative of Barabanki in the Lok Sabha, has been nominated again by the BJP to contest from the same constituency in the forthcoming General elections.
Through a statement on X, Upendra Singh Rawat said, “A manipulated video of mine is being disseminated, purportedly created by DeepFake AI technology, for which I have filed an FIR. I have urged the party’s national president to initiate an investigation into this matter. I will abstain from contesting any election in public life until my innocence is established.” The police have filed a case based on the complaint lodged by Upendra Singh Rawat.
Previously, a renowned Bhojpuri singer, Pawan Singh, withdrew from the Lok Sabha race. He was nominated by the BJP for the Asansol seat. Taking to his official X handle, the singer confirmed his withdrawal from the contest, though he did not specify the reason. “I extend my sincere thanks to the senior leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The party bestowed its trust upon me and nominated me as the candidate from West Bengal’s Asansol.
However, due to unforeseen circumstances, I am unable to contest the elections from Asansol,” Singh posted from his X handle on Sunday. Setting the momentum for its competitors, the BJP, on March 2, unveiled its initial list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The list comprises 47 youthful candidates, 28 female candidates, 27 Scheduled Caste (SC) representatives, 18 Scheduled Tribes (ST) contenders, and 57 OBC/Backward Class nominees. Among the 195 candidates, 34 are ministers from the Center and States, while two are former chief ministers included in the list. The Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to take place in April-May this year.