Former Union Minister and BJP MP from Hazaribagh Jayant Sinha on Saturday asked BJP president JP Nadda to relieve him of his electoral duties, saying he wanted to focus on combating climate change in India and around the world.

Expressing his desire not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election, 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 change in Bharat and around the world. Of course, I will continue to work with the party on economic and governance issues."

Sinha, who previously served as Minister of State for Finance and Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the opportunities provided to him.

"I have had the privilege of serving the people of Bharat and Hazaribagh for the past ten years," he said.

Sinha's announcement came hours after another party leader, Gautam Gambhir, made a similar appeal to JP Nadda

Gambhir, who will mentor the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), said he wanted to focus on his upcoming cricket commitments.

"I have requested party president J P Nadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments," the former Indian cricketer said.

The development comes as the BJP is likely to announce its first list of 100 Lok Sabha candidates in the next few days, sources said. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a late-night meeting at his residence with the party leadership. The party is likely to focus on fresh faces, and several women leaders may be fielded.

Source: India Today