Bihar Ex-DGP Gupteshwar Pandey set to join JDU after EC announces Bihar election dates

Just a day after the Election Commission of India announced the dates for upcoming Bihar assembly elections, Former Director-General of Police (DGP) Bihar, Gupteshwar Pandey is set to formally join the Nitish Kumar led Janata Dal-United (JDU) in a ceremony at 1 PM on Saturday, reports stated. This development also comes just days after Gupteshwar Pandey took voluntary retirement and triggered speculation of contesting the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, although he had then said he has not decided about joining politics and added that he may join if the people from his hometown Buxar wanted him to do so.

"People have been coming to me in large numbers from Begusarai, Sitamarhi, Shahpur and several other districts, telling me that if I wish to enter politics then I should contest election from their district. Buxar is my home district where I was born and brought up. It'll be a decision by them. If they want me to, then I may enter politics" Pandey had told ANI on Wednesday.

He took VRS on Tuesday triggering massive speculations of contesting elections as the reason for his early retirement. When asked about criticism over him taking VRS and speculations of joining politics ahead of the Bihar elections, he said, "Criticism from political leaders is obvious as I don't have family members in politics to look out for me. My family used to do farming and rear cattle. Some people find it difficult to digest which is why they are saying these things."

Although it seems obvious that he may contest in the upcoming state polls, there is no confirmation in this regard even as he is set to join the JDU on Saturday. 

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Role in Sushant Singh death case being transferred

The Bihar ex-DGP came into limelight after he played a role in the Bihar Police investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, wherein he took on the Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra government for allegedly blocking the Bihar Police investigation when the team was in Mumbai. Pandey had alleged that Mumbai Police was not fair in investigating the late actor's death. Earlier, Pandey had taken premature retirement to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, but later the state government did not accept his VRS application and reinstated him in the service. 

The Election Commission of India on Friday announced the date for the upcoming Bihar Assembly election. The 243-member legislative assembly will be held in three phases -- the first phase on October 28, second on November 3 and the third on November 7, while the counting of votes and results declaration will be held on November 10. 

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