Joining the list of party leaders who have opted out of contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, BJP MP Jayant Sinha, who is also the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance, on Saturday said he has requested party president JP Nadda to “relieve him from direct electoral duties.”

Earlier in the day, cricketer-turned-politician, Gautam Gambhir too announced that he was quitting politics and would “focus on (his) upcoming cricket commitments”. This, in effect meant, he was dropping out of the poll race.

Party sources say, in all likelihood both the politicians are unlikely to feature in the list of candidates.

Sinha, a two-term MP from Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh, said that he wanted to “focus his efforts on combating global climate change in Bharat and around the world.” He added that he will continue to work with the party on economic and governance issues.

In a post on micro-blogging site X, formerly called Twitter, Sinha said: “ I have requested.... JP Nadda to relieve me of my direct electoral duties so that I can focus my efforts on combating global climate in Bharat and around the world. Of course, I will continue to work with the part on economic and governance issues. I have had the privilege of serving the people of Bharat and Hazaribagh for past ten year.....”

Gambhir, meanwhile, was elected as East Delhi MP in 2019 when he joined the party earlier that year. In a post on X, the former cricketer wrote: “I have requeted the party President to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments.”

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