‘Voted by postal ballot, not invited for party events’: Sinha on show cause notice

Responding to the party's show cause notice to him in which he has been accused of not participating in poll campaigning and not even showing up to vote, BJP MP and former Union minister Jayant Sinha said he was surprised to get it as he had voted through postal ballot and was not invited to any party events. 

The party’s Jharkhand general secretary Aditya Sahu had sent Sinha a show cause notice asking him why he did not vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and why he did not participate in election campaigning.

In a two-page response to Sahu’s letter, Sinha wrote, “I was very surprised to receive your letter and discover that you have released it to the media as well.”

Rebutting the charge that he had not been participating in “organisational work and election campaigning” after Manish Jaiswal was declared the BJP candidate for the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat for which Sinha is the sitting MP, the former Union minister said that he “was not invited for any party events, rallies, or organisational meetings.”

Sinha in his letter said that he had endorsed Jaiswal as the party’s candidate and that he had congratulated him and demonstrated his unwavering support for the party’s choice. He said that not a single senior party leader had asked him to take part in any election activities.

“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,” he said in the letter. 

He also said that he could not attend Jaiswal’s nomination rally on May 1 due to the late notice, and he went to his home in Hazaribagh on May 2 to express his regards.

The MP also said that during his 25-year service to the BJP, he has been a two-term MP, Union minister of state, and chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance. He said his development and organisational work in Hazaribagh have been appreciated widely, reflected in his winning the 2014 and 2019 elections with record margins.

“Given my contributions to the party and the circumstances detailed above, the public issuance of your letter is unseemly. Your approach demoralises 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 wrote.

He concluded his letter by saying that they could have certainly spoken to each other in person or on the phone at any time to address any misgivings, and that Sahu, as the party official responsible for the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha elections, could have reached him at any time.

“To send me a letter after the elections are over is incomprehensible,” said Jayant Sinha.