Bhojpuri Superstar Pawan Singh's Strategic Importance in Bihar NDA Alliance Despite Past Rebellion

In Bihar elections, caste dynamics play a crucial role, but the influence of Bhojpuri celebrity status cannot be underestimated. Both the NDA and RJD-led Grand Alliance are primarily focused on constituencies where they experienced defeats during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Shahabad region holds particular strategic importance, especially Karakat, where Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh's involvement has transformed the political landscape.

Current reports indicate Singh is close to joining Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM). While no formal announcement has been made yet, sources suggest he's being offered two seats in the upcoming Bihar election as an incentive to join.

With an enormous fan following in Bihar, Pawan Singh represents a significant factor in balancing caste politics and celebrity influence. Previously affiliated with the BJP, he was expelled from the party last year. The potential alliance between Singh and Kushwaha is being viewed as a strategic masterstroke, despite their complicated history marked by rebellion and betrayal.

Inside sources reveal that BJP's Bihar election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan has been orchestrating this political maneuver under Home Minister Amit Shah's guidance.

The negotiation efforts continued as recently as yesterday. BJP's Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde and National Secretary Rituraj Sinha held discussions with Kushwaha just one day before his scheduled meeting with the Bhojpuri star. Following these talks, Tawde stated that Singh would remain loyal to the BJP and its ideological principles.

Regarding Singh's potential affiliation with Kushwaha, sources indicate that negotiations for his inclusion in Kushwaha's party are already progressing. The Bhojpuri celebrity has reportedly been promised two assembly seats and possibly even a Rajya Sabha nomination. These substantial offers raise questions about Kushwaha's motivations for welcoming Singh into his party, particularly considering that the Bhojpuri singer contributed to Kushwaha's electoral defeat in the Karakat Lok Sabha constituency last year.

In 2024, Singh rebelled against the BJP. Though nominated by the party to contest from Asansol in West Bengal, he preferred to run from Karakat. Acting as a rebel, he contested as an Independent candidate from Karakat against Kushwaha, the official NDA representative. While Singh lost to the Left candidate, more significantly, Kushwaha finished in third place.

As a consequence, the BJP expelled Singh from the party.

Political analysts emphasize that ignoring a celebrity figure like Pawan Singh in Bihar politics would be difficult for any political party. His popularity extends beyond Bhojpuri-speaking communities to both rural and urban populations across the region.

Furthermore, the 2024 Karakat election results completely disrupted the established political equations in Shahabad. Tensions between the Kushwaha and Rajput communities further contributed to this defeat. The BJP and NDA are determined not to repeat this scenario, explaining their concentrated focus on this area.

Singh also plays a vital role in caste-based vote dynamics. The Karakat Lok Sabha segment, part of the Shahabad region, has historically been influenced by caste equations. During the 2020 assembly elections, the NDA secured only two seats out of 22 in the region. Political experts believe Singh's rebellion directly contributed to BJP's defeats in Ara, Karakat, Aurangabad, and Buxar Lok Sabha constituencies.

Bihar BJP veteran RK Singh has repeatedly emphasized the necessity for a strong figure to maintain the party's Rajput voter base. Singh's support could help achieve this objective.

During the previous Lok Sabha elections, RJD patriarch Lalu Yadav attempted to form a Yadav-Muslim-Kushwaha coalition by allocating tickets to Kushwaha candidates, a strategy that benefited the alliance nationally. If the Rajput voter base shifts to the NDA through Pawan Singh's influence, while Upendra Kushwaha maintains support from his own community, it could significantly weaken the RJD-led alliance.