‘Tum BJP mein ho’: Ashwini Choubey’s son Arjit Shashwat backs out of Bihar polls after father’s call

Former Union Minister Ashwini Choubey’s son, Arjit Shashwat Choubey, who had earlier declared that he would contest as an independent candidate from the Bhagalpur Assembly constituency, backed out at the last minute on Saturday.

Arjit, who arrived at the SDO office in Bhagalpur with a group of supporters to file his nomination after being denied a BJP ticket, made a sudden U-turn moments before submitting his papers.

Speaking to reporters, he said, “My father, Ashwini Choubey, called me and said, ‘Tum BJP mein ho aur BJP mein hi rahoge’ (You are in the BJP and you will remain in the BJP).” Respecting his father’s words, Arjit said he decided not to contest as an independent.

He further claimed that ever since he had announced his decision to enter the fray as an independent, the BJP leadership had been pressuring him to reconsider. “Despite the pressure, I was determined to serve the people. But today, I have respected my father’s instructions and withdrawn from the race,” he said.