BJP MP from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, Jayant Sinha, decided to opt out of the Lok Sabha election on Saturday.

Later, the BJP announced sitting Hazaribagh Sadar MLA Manish Jaiswal as the party candidate from the constituency.

BJP senior leaders in Ranchi confided on condition of anonymity that the son of former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, who held positions of Union minister of state for finance and civil aviation in the Narendra Modi cabinet, had got a hint of his name being dropped from the party list and had shared the tweet on X at 2.30pm expressing his desire to be relieved of his electoral duties.

“He was one of the most highly educated leaders among BJP MPs in Jharkhand and was an asset for the party. However, he had got hints about the party high command’s decision to drop his name and opted for the face-saving move on Saturday afternoon,” said a BJP leader.

Jayant had mentioned in his social media handle, “I have requested party president JP Nadda ji 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.”