‘Self-Respect Hurt,’ Giriraj Singh on Contesting From Begusarai

Union Minister Giriraj Singh will be pitted against CPI candidate and former JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh.

(Photo: IANS)

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday, 25 March, reiterated his unhappiness over being nominated to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Bihar’s Begusarai. Singh, who is a sitting MP from Nawada, also hinted that he may not represent Begusarai, as the BJP’s decision has “hurt his self-respect.”

Speaking to news agency ANI, Singh said that the decision was taken without consulting him.

“My self-respect is hurt that no other MP’s seat was changed in Bihar. It was decided without talking to me. State BJP leadership should tell me why it was done. I’ve nothing against Begusarai but I can’t compromise with my self-respect,” Singh told ANI. 

‘Wanted to Contest From Begusarai Since 1996

LJP representative Chanda Kumar has been nominated by the NDA to contest from Nawada.

Speaking to News18, the union minister highlighted that while he wanted to contest from Begusarai since 1996, the party handed him Nawada in 2014.

“I wanted to fight from Begusarai in 2014, but I was handed Nawada. Since 1996, I have been wanting to contest elections from Begusarai. The issue that I have with the distribution is that no other sitting MP had to change their seat,” he said.

A firebrand BJP leader, Singh had caused a stir ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when he said, "Those opposed to Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan."

He has continued with similar outbursts ever since, the latest instance being his threat that those not coming out in support of the Prime Minister’s Patna rally on 3 March would be deemed "anti-national" even though he himself ended up remaining absent on account of ill-health.

‘BJP Min Is Like My Nephew Who Refuses to Go to School’

CPI candidate from the constituency and former JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar took a dig at Singh, comparing him to his nephew who “refuses to go to school.”

“Watched the news on TV and learnt that the BJP minister known for sending off people to free-of-cost Pakistan tours is not ready to come to Begusarai for contesting the polls,” Kumar said in a Facebook post late Monday night where he did not mention Singh by name.

"I have a nephew who, similarly, refuses to go to school whenever he fails to do his homework. But even he never thinks of sending the teacher to Pakistan. Neither does he hate anybody nor he wants to get anybody expelled from the school," Kanhaiya Kumar added a sarcastic comment to the post.

“This is the real India, vastly different from the shrill debates one watches on news channels,” the former JNU Students’ Union president, who first came into limelight upon being booked for sedition in connection with alleged raising of anti-national slogans at a function held inside the varsity premises.

Both Singh and Kumar belong to the Bhumihar caste which dominates Begusarai, and if the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ comprising RJD, Congress and other smaller parties fails to field a strong candidate, the debutant may end up posing a formidable challenge to the BJP veteran.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI, News18)