Former DGP of Bihar, Gupteshwar Pandey, who is again hogging the limelight after taking VRS and declaring that he may take a political plunge during the ensuing Bihar poll, has stated that he has offers to contest from 14 different constituencies and “I can win from any seat in the State.”
Pandey was slammed by the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP a day after he took voluntary retirement and decided to join the hurly-burly of politics. The Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, in particular, questioned Pandey whether his controversial remarks related to Sushant’s Singh Rajput’s death case was part of his political agenda.
"My statements related to SSR death case should not be linked to my VRS. And tell me, is joining a political party a crime? Anyone can take VRS after 30 years in service and do whatever he feels like doing. I have decided to serve people. People are asking me to contest from different constituencies. But I have not made up my mind," said Pandey, who is tipped to be the NDA nominee from Buxar, his birthplace. The other options, ruling party sources aver, are Shahpur in Bhojpur and Valmikinagar in West Champaran.
One too many
Incidentally, Pandey is not the first former DGP to enter the poll fray. His senior and former Bihar DGP, DP Ojha, who took action against controversial RJD MP, Mohammad Shahabuddin during Lalu-Rabri era, contested 2004 Lok Sabha election from Begusarai after his retirement, but forfeited his deposit. An upright officer, Ojha, got merely around 5,000 votes in the parliamentary poll, far less than his Independent rivals.
Similarly, ex-DGP of Bihar, Ashish Ranjan Sinha, who served as Bihar top cop between 2005 and 2008, too contested the Lok Sabha election from Nalanda during 2014 parliamentary polls post retirement, but had to bite the dust.
Meanwhile, a music video dubbing Pandey as ‘Robinhood of Bihar’ has gone viral ever since he took VRS on Tuesday evening.
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