Former DGP Gupteshwar Pandey out of the poll fray in Bihar

Bihar’s former DGP Gupteshwar Pandey, who was tipped to contest the October-November Assembly election on a Janata Dal-United ticket, does not figure in the list of 115 candidates released by the state’s ruling party on Wednesday.

It was being speculated that Pandey, who hails from Buxar, could be fielded from there. However, the seat has been allotted to the Bharatiya Janata Party, who has fielded Parsuram Chaturvedi.

According to JD-U insiders, the party wanted to give a clear message that no one could use a government post for political gain. However, Pandey may be sent to the state Legislative Council later, a party leader said.

Pandey, who came under huge criticism for his comments on actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s mysterious death, faced more flak from opposition parties, especially Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena, after he took voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service on September 22 and joined the JD-U three days later.

Even the top JD-U leadership was feeling the heat over his inclusion in the party.

Another theory doing the rounds is that the BJP did not want to give up the Buxar seat, where it enjoys strong influence, especially among the upper castes. Besides, Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey is the sitting BJP MP from Buxar.

Pandey had earlier claimed that he has potential to contest election from more than 25 constituencies in Bihar.