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No JD(U) Ticket: Former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey Says He Won't Quit Politics Like He Did In 2009

Pandey, who did not get a Bihar assembly election ticket from the JD(U), told 'HuffPost India' that elections are not the only way to keep active in politics.
Former DGP Gupteshwar Pandey after joining Janata Dal United on September 27, 2020 in Patna.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Former DGP Gupteshwar Pandey after joining Janata Dal United on September 27, 2020 in Patna.

Gupteshwar Pandey, the controversial IPS officer who quit active service last month in the hope of becoming a candidate for the Bihar assembly election, told HuffPost India that he will not quit active politics after being denied a ticket.

“My popularity is my biggest strength and this time I will not back out from active politics. I am here to stay forever,” Pandey told HuffPost India over the phone.

Several news reports had speculated that Pandey may contest the upcoming election from Buxar constituency. He joined the JD(U) on September 27 in the presence of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

But the party’s candidate list released on Wednesday did not feature his name.

While Pandey had told HuffPost India earlier that he was holding a meeting with his team to decide his future course of action, in a subsequent conversation, he said he had spoken to CM Kumar and was now looking forward to a “long political innings with JD(U)”.

“Elections are not the only way to keep active in politics. Soon I will reveal my card,” he said, when asked if he planned to contest from another seat.

Pandey’s recent VRS had drawn a lot of attention because he played a role in the Bihar police taking up the Sushant Singh Rajput case. His criticism of the Mumbai Police and comment on Rhea Chakraborty had also created controversy.

Pandey took VRS in 2009 in the hope of getting a Lok Sabha ticket from the BJP but was left disappointed then as well. He was controversially reinstated into the service some months later.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.