Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh was on Wednesday expelled from the BJP for “tarnishing the party’s image” by contesting the Lok Sabha polls “against an authorised NDA candidate”.

Singh has entered the fray, as an Independent, in Karakat seat of Bihar, queering the pitch for ex-Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, an NDA partner who is contesting on the symbol of his Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

According to a communication issued by Arvind Sharma, the BJP’s Bihar headquarters in-charge, Singh, who is a member of the party’s district executive committee in Bhojpur, has been expelled upon the directions of state president Samrat Choudhary.

In the letter of expulsion, Singh has been charged with “anti-party activities” and “indiscipline” and reprimanded for “tarnishing the party’s reputation by contesting against the NDA’s authorised candidate (adhikrit pratyashi).

Singh, who appeared to take the development on the chin, came out with several cryptic posts on X.

In one of the posts, he likened himself to the Mahabharata character Abhimanyu, who was “slain by demons, despite Lord Krishna and Pandavas being on his side, after getting caught alone inside a labyrinth on the battlefield (chakravyuha)”.

“In today’s battle, Abhimanyu is once again alone but he enjoys the backing of the people”, said Singh, who spoke of “building a new Karakat” and came out with a “vachan patra” (charter of promises) in a couple of other posts.

The belated action, from the party, comes with just over a week left before voting takes place in Karakat on June 1.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold three rallies in Bihar on May 25 at as many constituencies going to polls in the final phase and one of these has been proposed in Karakat constituency.