Hazaribagh (Jharkhand): Senior BJP leader Jayant Sinha on Wednesday responded to the show cause notice issued by Jharkhand general secretary Aditya Sahu on why he did not vote in the Lok Sabha polls and participate in any election campaigning.

In response to BJP's Jharkhand general secretary Aditya Sahu, Sinha said he was surprised by the show cause notice as he had voted through the postal ballot process due to his absence from India over a "pressing personal commitments".

He explained that none of the senior party officials, MP or MLA from Jharkhand approached him after he announced in March to not contest the Lok Sabha elections.

Sinha is the sitting BJP MP from Hazaribagh.

"If the party had wanted me to participate in any election activities, you could surely have contacted me. However, not a single senior party official or MP/MLA from Jharkhand reached out to me post my announcement on March 2. I was not invited for any party events, rallies, or organisational meetings," he wrote.

The BJP nominated Manish Jaiswal as its candidate for the Hazaribagh seat, and Sinha stated that he had supported Jaiswal from the moment he was announced as a Lok Sabha nominee.

"The party announced Jaiswal ji as its candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. My endorsement was evident when I congratulated Jaiswal ji on March 8, an event that was well-documented on social media and demonstrated my unwavering support for the party's choice," Sinha said.

On April 29, Sinha said he received a call from Jaiswal and the latter had invited him to join his nomination rally on May 1.

As he could not make it to Hazaribagh on May 1 due to "late notice," he went directly to Jaiswal’s residence to convey his regards on May 2.

“He was not present, so I conveyed my message to his family. There was no further contact from Jaiswal ji. I left Hazaribagh on May 3 and returned to Delhi," he said.

"After informing the Speaker, I left India on May 10 to attend to some pressing personal commitments overseas. The party had not asked me to participate in any events, so I saw no reason to stay. Before leaving India, I sent my vote through the postal ballot process. Therefore, it is wrong for you to allege that I did not exercise my responsibility to vote," he said in a two-page letter to Sahu.

Sinha said that he and Sahu could have addressed any grievances raised by Sahu through in-person meetings or phone conversations at any time.

"As the party official responsible for the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha elections, you could have reached me at any time. To send me a letter after the elections are over, is incomprehensible," he asserted.

Sinha stated he made this decision to concentrate on combating climate change both in India and globally and discussed not contesting the polls after consulting with BJP president JP Nadda.

"Of course, I will continue to work with the party on economic and governance issues. As it is obvious from this tweet, 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," he said.

Thousands of people in Hazaribagh and BJP workers urged him to reconsider his decision, but he affirmed that his decision was final, Sinha said.

"Despite my withdrawal, the reaction from thousands of Hazaribagh's constituents and party workers was profound, with many visiting me in Delhi, asking me not to withdraw and to continue my candidacy. This was a difficult period, filled with intense public emotion. However, I maintained political decorum and restraint," he said.

“I am happy to support the party on economic and governance policies and have continued to do so. But I was very surprised to receive your letter and discover that you have released it to the media as well," he added.

The disagreement between Sahu and Sinha occurred shortly after Sinha's son, Ashish Sinha, attended an INDIA bloc rally in Hazaribagh, fuelling speculation about his political intentions.