Amid the ongoing investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him, BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday declared that he will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Kaiserganj seat in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. At a public address in Gonda, Singh skipped making any direct statements about the controversy surrounding him. However, a cryptic verse he recited before his address was seen as a move to evoke sympathy.

Singh’s address was part of the BJP’s outreach on the completion of nine years of the BJP government at the Centre. The rally was also seen as a show of strength by the BJP leader.

“Kaiserganj Lok Sabha se chunaav ladunga, ladunga, ladunga, (will definitely contest elections from Kaiserganj Lok Sabha),” Singh told reporters after addressing the public gathering, even as his fate remains uncertain with investigation into the charges made by wrestlers against him still ongoing.

Before his address at a college in Gonda owned by him, Singh held a roadshow of sorts, traversing a distance of 50 kms from his residence in Vishnoharpur to the Raghuraj Sharan Singh Mahavidyalaya, choosing to greet people from the sunroof of his SUV. The rally saw hordes of supporters on bikes and cars in tow, chanting slogans in his support while many people lined up to greet him along the way and offer him garlands.

During his address, Singh attacked the Congress and former PM Jawaharlal Nehru over allegedly letting Pakistan and China occupy large swathes of Indian territory, and said this would not have been possible under “Modi’s India”.