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After the Bharatiya Janata Party issued a show-cause notice to former Union Minister and MP Jayant Sinha asking him why he did not vote in the ongoing elections or participate in the campaigning, the latter responded said that he was "surprised" to receive the notice and was being "unjustly targeted".
Sinha in his letter also clarified that he voted through the postal ballot process as he was overseas due to personal commitments. "If the party had 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 post my announcement on 2 March 2024. I was not invited to any party events, rallies, or organizational meetings. If Babu Lal Marandi ji wanted me to participate, he could have certainly called me, but he did not," the BJP MP said in his letter. He said that he had informed the Speaker and left India on May 10 to attend to some pressing personal commitments overseas adding that the party had not asked him to participate in any events, so he saw no reason to stay. "On the evening of April 29, 2024, while in Delhi, I received a call from Manish Jaiswal ji inviting me to his Nomination Rally on May 1, 2024. Due to the late notice, it was not feasible for me to arrive in Hazaribagh by the morning of May 1, 2024. Consequently, I travelled to Hazaribagh on May 2, 2024, and went directly to Jaiswal ji's residence to express my regards. He was not present, so I conveyed my message to his family. There was no further contact from Jaiswal ji. I left Hazaribagh on May 3, 2024, and returned to Delhi," Sinha said in his letter. After informing the Speaker, I left India on May 10, 2024, to attend to some pressing personal commitments overseas. The party had not asked me to participate in any events, so I saw no reason to stay. Before leaving India, I sent my vote through the postal ballot process. Therefore, it is wrong for you to allege that I did not exercise my responsibility to vote," he added. The BJP MP said that he has assisted the party on many important and significant national policy initiatives in the past few decades. Despite this, the public issuance of the letter is unseemly. "Your approach demoralizes dedicated party workers and undermines the party's collective efforts. Additionally, despite my loyalty and hard work for the party, it appears that I am being unjustly targeted," Sinha said. In his two-page reply, the BJP MP, Sinha also stated, "I was very surprised to receive your letter and discover that you have released it to the media as well." Sinha's response comes after the BJP issued a show-cause notice and asked him to reply within 2 days. "You are not taking any interest in organizational work and election campaigning ever since the party declared Manish Jaiswal as the candidate from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat. You did not even feel the need to exercise your vote. The party's image has been maligned because of your conduct," read the notice. "As per the instructions of State President Shri Babulal Marandi ji, you are requested to give clarification in this regard within 2 days," it further added. Jayant Sinha, son of former Finance Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Yashwant Sinha recently joined the list of leaders who wished not to contest the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. The Hazaribagh MP had requested the party president JP Nadda to relieve him of "direct electoral duties" so that he could focus on efforts to combat climate change. After this, the BJP replaced Sinha with Hazaribagh Sadar MLA Manish Jaiswal. Elections are being held in Jharkhand in four phases: May 13, 20, 25, and June 1. In 2019, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 12 seats in Jharkhand, with the BJP securing 11. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress each secured one seat. (ANI)
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