BJP's Jayant Sinha follows Gautam Gambhir, opts out of Lok Sabha polls

Former Union Minister and BJP Member of Parliament from Hazaribagh, Jayant Sinha, has requested BJP president JP Nadda to relieve him of his electoral duties, signaling his decision to not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Sinha cited a desire to focus on combating climate change in India and globally as his primary reason for stepping back from direct electoral engagement.

In a statement issued on March 2, Sinha stated, "I have requested JP Nadda to relieve me of my direct electoral duties so that I can focus my efforts on combating global climate change in Bharat and around the world. Of course, I will continue to work with the party on economic and governance issues."

Sinha, who previously held portfolios as Minister of State for Finance and Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the opportunities afforded to him during his political career.

"I have had the privilege of serving the people of Bharat and Hazaribagh for the past ten years," Sinha added.

This announcement from Sinha comes in the wake of a similar move made by Gautam Gambhir, another prominent BJP leader. Gambhir, a former Indian cricketer, cited his upcoming commitments in cricket, where he will mentor the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), as the reason behind his decision to step back from political responsibilities.

"I have requested party president J P Nadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments," Gambhir stated.