Patna: After not being able to campaign during the Assembly polls underway in Bihar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha today said that his absence on the campaign trail was "not by choice".
"My party workers, friends, supporters and well-wishers, wonder why I am not seen on campaign trail....I assure them it is not by choice," he said in a series of tweets three days ahead of third phase of Assembly polls, that includes six Assembly constituencies under Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat which he represents.
Mr Sinha, who has had an uneasy relationship with the state unit BJP leaders for years, blamed some "insecure" local leaders for being instrumental in keeping him "out" of campaigning for the party by feeding misinformation to the top leadership.
"(I have) Been kept out, thanks to insecure local leaders who we know very well....who have fed matter of convenience stories to the party leaders," he said, but refused to name those leaders who had worked against him.
Apparently disagreeing with secular alliance leaders -Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad - for making the Bihar Assembly polls a contest between the Biharis and Bahari (outsiders) with reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, the BJP MP from Patna Sahib expressed anguish in the manner he (Bihari Babu) has been treated (by the BJP leaders) for no fault of his.
"Not a question of Bihari vs Bahari..but of how your own Bihari (Babu) has been treated by own people for no fault," Mr Sinha, a former health minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government said.
The BJP MP wished best to the NDA candidates in the fray, saying that in the larger interest of Bihar and its people, they end up getting support and trust of the voters.
"However, in the larger interest of Bihar and its people, I hope and pray that our people get the support and trust of the voters," he said.
He said it was a piquant situation that he was not able to campaign as he has not been co-opted by the BJP leadership as a principled stance.
"As for the campaign trail, "Muhabbat karne waale, kam na honge. Teri mehfil mein lekin, hum na honge"... Matter of principle!! (He is not there in campaign trail as a matter of principle, but that does not mean there has been drop in legion of supporters he has)," Mr Sinha said.
