Jharkhand: What Jayant Sinha said in response to BJP's show cause notice?

Former Union Minister and MP Jayant Sinha expressed his surprise at receiving the BJP's show cause notice, questioning why he did not vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections-2024 and did not participate in election campaigning.

In reply to the letter from BJP's Jharkhand general secretary Aditya Sahu,  Sinha mentioned that he cast his vote via the postal ballot method due to being abroad for "personal commitments." Sinha, the current MP representing the Hazaribagh constituency in Jharkhand, expressed surprise at receiving the letter and its subsequent release to the media.

In reaction to Sahu's accusation of his absence in "organizational work and election campaigning" following Manish Jaiswal's nomination for the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat, Sinha clarified that he had not received invitations to participate in "any party events, rallies, or organizational meetings."

"The party announced Manish Jaiswal ji as its candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. My endorsement was evident when I congratulated Shri Jaiswal ji on March 8, 2024, an event that was well-documented on social media and demonstrated my unwavering support for the party's choice," he said.

'I was not invited to any party events'

"If the part 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. I was not invited to any party events, rallies, or organizational meetings," he said.

"I withdrew from the Lok Sabha elections on March 2. After consulting with Shri Nadda ji and getting his explicit approval, I made it clear publicly that I was not going to be involved in these elections. I am happy to support the party on economic and governance policies and have continued to do so," the two-term MP told Mr Sahu.

Sinha also said that on April 30, he received a call from  Jaiswal inviting him to his nomination rally on May 1, but he couldn't attend "due to the late notice"

"I traveled to Hazaribagh on May 2 and went directly to Jaiswal ji's residence to express my regards. He was not present, so I conveyed my message to his family," he said.

Having been a part of the BJP for more than 25 years, Sinha highlighted that his "development and organizational work in Hazaribagh have received widespread appreciation," as evidenced by his consecutive victories in the 2014 and 2019 general elections. 

'Such actions can demoralize committed party members' 

In response to Sahu, Sinha expressed his disappointment at the public release of the letter, stating that such actions can demoralize committed party members and detract from the collective party efforts. 

Sinha also mentioned feeling unjustly singled out despite his loyalty and dedication to the party. He suggested that addressing any concerns could have been done through personal or telephonic communication, especially given Sahu's role as the party official overseeing the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha elections. Sending a letter post-election was incomprehensible, said. Sinha.