Pawan Singh: The Bhojpuri entertainer and BJP's new hope from Bengal's Asansol

Singh ventured into politics in 2014, joining the BJP under the patronage of party general secretary Arun Singh, alongside senior party figures Nityanand Rai and Bhupendra Yadav.

Pawan Singh, a renowned name in the Bhojpuri entertainment industry, is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) face from West Bengal's Asansol for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. Earlier, this month, the singer-cum-actor made headlines, announcing withdrawing from the poll fray only to make a U-turn 10 days later declaring his decision to contest.

Pawan Singh - the 'Power Star'

Popular in the Bhojpuri entertainment industry, Singh is celebrated for his contributions as both a singer and actor, and is often referred as the "Power Star".

Initiating his musical journey in 1997 with his debut album Odhaniya Wali, Singh continued to captivate audiences with subsequent releases like Kaanch Kasailli in 2005.

It was, however, his 2008 album Lollypop Lagelu that propelled him to meteoric fame. His musical prowess earned him the esteemed title of Best Male Singer at the International Bhojpuri Film Awards in 2016.

Recognised as one of the finest Bhojpuri vocalists, he has also left a substantial mark with his roles in iconic movies like Pratigya, Satya, and Har Har Gange, Dacait, Ziddi Aashiq, and Pratigya 2, among others.

Transitioning from a successful movie career spanning almost two decades, Singh ventured into politics in 2014, joining the BJP under the patronage of party general secretary Arun Singh, alongside senior party figures Nityanand Rai and Bhupendra Yadav.

Asansol harbors a significant migrant community, and the BJP anticipates that Singh would serve as an effective rival to Trinamool Congress' Shatrughan Sinha, the actor-turned-politician who had been with the saffron party for decades before his departure in 2019.

West Bengal is poised for an intense political battle, with the ruling TMC facing off against the opposition BJP, as well as the Congress and Left parties. The state has been the stage for a heated political rivalry between the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and the BJP in recent years.

Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal will take place in seven phases from April 19 to June 1 across 42 seats. The results will be declared on June 4.